Huge Win for Mark Pope And Kentucky As 7’0 Center Withdraws from NBA Draft

The Kentucky Wildcats, coached by Mark Pope, just got a huge boost to their roster for the 2026-27 season with one of their standouts from last year confirming a return to the team. On Sunday, May 24, 7’0″ center Malachi Moreno announced that he is withdrawing from this year’s NBA Draft and will play a second year of college basketball with the Wildcats.

Moreno edges out the draft deadline for players to keep their college eligibility by just a few days. This serves as huge news for the Kentucky-based program, who have eagerly been waiting on Moreno’s decision.

Throughout the offseason, the Wildcats have missed out on recruiting key players from the transfer portal and the high school class of 2026, most notably five-star recruit Tyran Stokes to the Kansas Jayhawks. With Moreno returning, the Wildcats are back on the right direction and will continue to build with their freshman in play.

“NEWS: Malachi Moreno is withdrawing from the NBA Draft and will return to Kentucky, he told @On3. The 7-foot center averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game as a freshman for the Wildcats. HUGE news for UK,” Joseph Tipton on Instagram captioned.

Per ESPN’s mock draft, Moreno was projected to be the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. But it seems Moreno was reluctant to be drafted this late and is opting to play for Kentucky again to increase his draft stock. This past 2025-26 season, Moreno was one of the more outstanding rookies as he averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 22.6 minutes a game.

The young talent then helped the Wildcats secure a spot in the 2026 NCAA tournament, where they were eliminated in the second round by the Iowa State Cyclones.

Malachi Moreno uploaded a video on X/Twitter to announce his return home to Kentucky

Malachi Moreno also confirmed that he is returning home to Kentucky when he uploaded a video edit on his X/Twitter.

The Georgetown, Kentucky native has unfinished business in college basketball, and is aiming for a deeper run in the national tournament. In just his freshman stint, Moreno has gained the love of the Wildcats faithful, most notably for his game-winner over their SEC rivals, the LSU Tigers, back in January.

Huge Win for Mark Pope And Kentucky As 7’0 Center Withdraws from NBA Draft

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