Here’s how to watch future UK Wildcat Malachi Moreno play with Great Crossing this season
The Kentucky men’s basketball team is on a current run of in-state recruiting success.
The Wildcats appear likely to field the reigning winner of the Kentucky Mr. Basketball award for a third straight year.
This streak began in 2023 with Reed Sheppard (North Laurel) and continued again this year with Travis Perry (Lyon County). Mark Pope’s first UK roster also boasts Trent Noah, a former standout player at Harlan County who faced off against Perry in the championship game of last season’s Sweet 16.
Looking ahead to next year, the Wildcats have already signed the presumptive favorite for the year-end award celebrating the best senior in Kentucky high school boys basketball. Great Crossing center Malachi Moreno — a 6-foot-11 big man — is the favorite to win the honor, and he’s one of UK’s three signees in the 2025 recruiting class.
Moreno was the first of Kentucky’s three signees to commit to head coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats. Moreno pledged to become a UK player in August, ahead of guards Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis.
Now, it’s time for Moreno’s senior season to begin as part of a Great Crossing team that’s considered the preseason favorite to win this season’s Sweet 16 state tournament.
The Warhawks — who also boast 6-foot-6 Morehead State signee Vince Dawson III — are coming off a 36-2 season in which they reached the Sweet 16 semifinals. Now, Great Crossing is looking to go two wins better in the state tournament, led by Moreno.
Great Crossing will play in several high-profile events during the 2024-25 season, while also playing plenty of games in Central Kentucky. This should give UK fans ample opportunity to watch Moreno in action.
Here’s an assortment of ways in which you can watch Moreno and Great Crossing play over the next few months.
Great Crossing to host Jersey Mike’s Subs Hoops Classic
Great Crossing will be hosting the third annual Jersey Mike’s Subs Hoops Classic on Saturday, Dec. 7.
A day full of basketball will feature the likes of Scott County and Frederick Douglass in action during the day, before Great Crossing takes center stage during the nightcaps.
At 6 p.m., Great Crossing’s girls team will play Spencer County. At 7:30 p.m., Great Crossing’s boys team will play W.E.B. DuBois of Louisville.
Billy Hicks Classic Boys’ Basketball Tournament
Great Crossing is playing in this year’s edition of the Billy Hicks Classic Boys’ Basketball Tournament, and the Georgetown school is hosting games at its home gym.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, Great Crossing will host Franklin County in the event.
Other games scheduled for the Billy Hicks Classic are:
▪ Ballard vs. Frederick Douglass (at Great Crossing).
▪ Lafayette at Scott County.
▪ Covington Catholic vs. Woodford County (at Scott County).
Former Frederick Douglass star guard Armelo Boone is now at Woodford County for his senior season. Boone has signed to play at Western Kentucky, which made the NCAA Tournament last season.
Great Crossing travels to play St. Xavier in Louisville
Right after the Billy Hicks Classic, Great Crossing will roll into a difficult matchup for its first road game of the season.
At 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, the Warhawks will travel to play St. Xavier in Louisville
St. X went an impressive 30-4 last season and boasts several talented players including senior Chance Dillingham, who was named a Kentucky Junior All-Star earlier this year.
City of Palms Classic
Great Crossing is in the main bracket for the annual City of Palms Classic, a prestigious tournament featuring top high school programs from around the county.
Held in Fort Myers, Florida, Great Crossing will play several games in the event but only one opponent is currently set in stone.
And it’s a big one. At 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, Great Crossing will face Christopher Columbus High School, a powerhouse from Miami.
Moreno will go head-to-head against Cameron Boozer, a five-star power forward in the 2025 recruiting class. Boozer, along with his twin brother Cayden, a five-star point guard recruit, both play for Columbus and have both signed to play at Duke next year.
They are the twin sons of Carlos Boozer, the ex-Duke basketball legend and NBA All-Star.
Kentucky previously recruited both Cameron and Cayden Boozer when John Calipari was UK’s head coach. Their first official recruiting visits were to Kentucky in September 2023.
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Beach Ball Classic
For the second straight year, Great Crossing will play in the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The Warhawks will be one of eight schools in the Traditional Teams bracket for the event.
The only predetermined opponent for Great Crossing in the event will be a game at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, against Windermere Prep School from Florida.
Great Crossing reached the championship game of last year’s Beach Ball Classic, losing to Bishop O’Connell of Virginia. This was one of only two losses suffered by Great Crossing last season.
Great Crossing to face off against five-star forward
To ring in the new year, Moreno and Great Crossing will be facing off against another five-star recruit who will soon be suiting up for Duke.
At 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, Great Crossing will play Bellaire High School (Texas) at the Optimist Scott Credit Union Shootout. The matchup, which will take place in southern Illinois, will pit Moreno against 6-foot-6 small forward Shelton Henderson.
A one-time Louisville recruit, Henderson is committed and signed to Duke, along with the Boozer twins, as part of the Blue Devils’ top-ranked 2025 recruiting class.
Great Crossing to play game at Thomas More
Another early January game will see the Warhawks play out-of-state opposition at a neutral site.
On Saturday, Jan. 11, Great Crossing will face off against Cathedral (Indiana) in a game to be played at Thomas More University in Crestview Hills.
Cathedral is the preseason pick to win the Indianapolis city championship and is led by four-star power forward Brady Koehler, a Notre Dame signee.
Great Crossing will play Male in the Dan Cummins Shootout
Scott County High School in Georgetown will be the host site for this year’s edition of the Dan Cummins Shootout, which has a trio of games lined up for Saturday, Jan. 25.
After Lexington Catholic faces off against Johnson Central (1 p.m.) and Bourbon County plays host Scott County (4:30 p.m.), the nightcap will feature Great Crossing against Male (6 p.m.).
The Louisville school boasts a pair of standout players this season: 6-foot-1 junior Cole Edelen averaged more than 21 points per game for Male last season, and he’s on pace to go over 2,000 career points scored this season.
Edelen holds offers from Charleston (now coached by ex-Louisville head man Chris Mack) and Western Kentucky, among other schools.
Another name to know for Male is 6-foot-8 senior Keashawn Jordan, a three-star center prospect who holds offers from Alabama State, Missouri State and UNLV.
Great Crossing is early favorite to win Sweet 16 state tournament
Of course, Great Crossing will need to take care of business in the 11th Region Tournament in order to make a return trip to Rupp Arena for next year’s Sweet 16 state tournament. That will be a task easier said than done, with the likes of Bryan Station and Henry Clay expected to pose challenges along the way.
But, assuming they get there, the Warhawks could be able to use last season’s postseason disappointment to go a few games better and win the school’s first basketball state championship.
The 2025 Sweet 16 state tournament will run from March 26 through March 29 at Rupp Arena. The boys basketball Sweet 16 will take place later than usual next year because Rupp Arena is hosting first round games in the NCAA Tournament.
2024-25 Great Crossing schedule
(All tipoff times local to site)
Dec. 2: ASHLAND BLAZER (W, 95-89)
Dec. 4: MONTGOMERY COUNTY (W, 77-60)
Dec. 7: 1-W.E.B. DUBOIS, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 11: 2-FRANKLIN COUNTY, 6 p.m.
Dec. 15: At St. Xavier, 6 p.m.
Dec. 19: 3-Christopher Columbus (Florida), 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 20: 3-TBA
Dec. 21: 3-TBA
Dec. 23: 3-TBA
Dec. 27: 4-Windermere Prep School (Florida), 3:30 p.m.
Dec. 28: 4-TBA
Dec. 30: 4-TBA
Jan. 3: At Butler County, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 4: 5-Bellaire (Texas), 9 p.m.
Jan. 10: MADISON CENTRAL, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 11: 6-Cathedral (Indiana), 6 p.m.
Jan. 14: At Western Hills, 6 p.m.
Jan. 16: At Frankfort, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 18: LLOYD MEMORIAL, 3 p.m.
Jan. 25: 7-Male, 6 p.m.
Jan. 28: WESTERN HILLS, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 1: At Covington Catholic, 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 4: At Henry Clay, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 8: SCOTT COUNTY, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 11: At Clark County, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 14: SOUTH LAUREL, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 18: At Walton-Verona, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 21: MADISON SOUTHERN, 7:30 p.m.
1-Jersey Mike’s Subs Hoops Classic at Great Crossing; 2-Billy Hicks Classic at Great Crossing.; 3-City of Palms Classic at Fort Myers, Fla; 4-Beach Ball Classic at Myrtle Beach, SC; 5-Optimist Scott Credit Union Shootout in Highland, Ill; 6-At Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, Ky; 7-Dan Cummins Shootout at Scott County.
This story was originally published December 2, 2024 at 7:15 AM.
