25 to watch in 2025: How is Malachi Moreno getting ready for his time with UK basketball?
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25 to watch in 2025
The Lexington Herald-Leader is tracking 25 individuals we expect will be making news in 2025.
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Editor’s note: The Lexington Herald-Leader is profiling 25 individuals that we predict will be making news in 2025.
Who: Malachi Moreno, a star senior boys basketball player at Great Crossing High School in Georgetown and a class of 2025 signee for Kentucky men’s basketball.
Background: Moreno has blossomed into one of the best class of 2025 college basketball prospects in the country, and he’s done so right here in Central Kentucky.
The younger brother of former Scott County star Michael Moreno — who enjoyed a prolific five-year playing career at Eastern Kentucky — Malachi is a five-star high school recruit who has risen to prominence at Great Crossing.
Moreno, a 6-foot-11 center, is a capable scorer, rebounder and rim protector who helped power the Warhawks — still a new player in the Kentucky high school basketball scene — to a 36-2 record last season, including an appearance in the Sweet 16 state tournament semifinals.
In August, Moreno became the first class of 2025 high school prospect to commit to play for new UK head coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats.
Moreno has since been joined in Kentucky’s 2025 recruiting class by guards Jasper Johnson (also a Central Kentucky native) and Acaden Lewis. All three players have signed to play at UK.
Moreno has been selected as a McDonald’s All-American, a prestigious honor that doesn’t come often for Kentucky prep players.
Why 2025 will be notable: As a Kentucky basketball signee, the already intense spotlight on Moreno’s high school play will multiply.
From a team perspective, Moreno is part of a loaded Great Crossing squad — which also includes Morehead State signee Vince Dawson III — that has its sights set on reaching the Sweet 16 state championship game for the first time in school history.
The Warhawks are among the favorites to win the state title this season.
On an individual level, Moreno is one of the favorites to win the 2025 Kentucky Mr. Basketball award, which is given out annually to the state’s best senior player.
All the while, Moreno’s college potential will be scrutinized. Those connected to the Wildcats are keeping a watchful eye on how certain facets of his game — such as ball handling and offensive creation — develop during his senior season.
What others say: “I think he cares about his teammates. I think he’s in it for the team. I think he’s a team guy,” Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope told the Herald-Leader in November about Moreno. “I think he’s a winner, he wants to win. I think he’s built right in so many different ways.”
What Moreno says: “We’re just going to play to the best of our ability and not give up on each other and stay together, and, hopefully, we can make some noise,” Moreno told the Herald-Leader on Dec. 15 following Great Crossing’s first loss of the 2024-25 season.
“Just my overall skill. Just being able to dribble the ball, being able to pass out of a double team and making sure my teammates stay active in the game,” Moreno told the Herald-Leader in the fall about his on-court improvements ahead of his senior season.
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM.
