‘Sprinkles to the top of your cake’: Moreno, Johnson are Kentucky’s Mr. and Miss Basketball
Two of high school basketball’s brightest stars took home their sports’ highest individual honors Sunday as Sacred Heart’s ZaKiyah Johnson finished her extraordinary career as the 2025 Kentucky Miss Basketball and Great Crossing’s Malachi Moreno became Kentucky Mr. Basketball at an awards ceremony Sunday evening.
The awards and other honors were presented by the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation in conjunction with the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches at Lexington’s Griffin Gate Marriott.
Johnson, a 6-foot forward signed with LSU, averaged 21.2 points and 7.3 rebounds as a senior and helped Louisville’s No. 1 Valkyries claim their fifth consecutive Girls’ Sweet 16 state championship and ninth overall with a 65-60 win against No. 2 George Rogers Clark on Saturday at Rupp Arena.
Also a four-time Girls’ Sweet 16 most valuable player and four-time Kentucky Gatorade player of the year, her winning Miss Basketball capped perhaps the greatest girls high school career in state history.
“If I had to put it in one word, it would be surreal,” Johnson said of her whirlwind week. “It’s so exciting. It’s something that hasn’t been seen often — four state championships, four Gatorades (players of the year), four MVPs and then you add Miss Basketball on top. It’s kind of like the sprinkles to the top of your cake.”
Johnson said she wasn’t nervous about receiving Miss Basketball, and she doesn’t shy from Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir’s assertion that she’s the best player to ever come out of Kentucky.
“I think I’m the best player, hands down, to come out of Kentucky. But if anybody disagrees with that, that’s all right,” Johnson said. “If they want to agree, that’s fine too.
Johnson is the third Miss Basketball from Sacred Heart, joining Crystal Kelly and Carly Ormerod who earned the honor in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Moreno, a 6-foot-10 center signed with the University of Kentucky, has helped lead Georgetown’s Great Crossing Warhawks to back-to-back 11th Region championships by averaging a double-double as a senior — 21.5 points and 14.8 rebounds.
Moreno acknowledged he wasn’t as self-assured as Johnson before his name was announced.
“It was definitely a little nerve-wracking,” Moreno said. “There’s so many great players in the state of Kentucky, but just hearing my name being called definitely meant a lot. It was a whole lot of praying and, you know, God chose me to be Mr. Basketball today.”
Moreno is the 22nd future UK player to receive the Mr. Basketball award and the third from Scott County, who had back-to-back Mr. Basketballs with Scott County High School’s Rick Jones in 1999 and Scott Hundley in 2000.
Moreno’s older brother, Michael Moreno, a Scott County forward who went on to play for Eastern Kentucky, was also an 11th Region player of the year and Mr. Basketball finalist in 2019. The younger Moreno didn’t know if becoming Mr. Basketball would change their sibling dynamic.
“He still has a little bit more accolades than I do,” Malachi Moreno said (although that’s arguable, now). “We’ll have to wait and see at the end of March.”
Great Crossing finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the state, according to the final statewide media poll. Along with No. 1 St. Xavier out of Louisville, the Warhawks will be one of the favorites to claim the 2025 UK Healthcare Boys’ Basketball Sweet 16 state tournament when it begins March 26.
Going into next week, Moreno has racked up 2,392 points and 1,896 rebounds, according to KHSAA game records. He also has 611 career blocks, according to Great Crossing, which would rank third on the KHSAA’s all-time list, according to an online record last updated in 2021.
Moreno’s rebound total ranks fourth all-time behind Earlington’s Harry Todd (2,188 from 1953-58), McCreary County’s Tim Stephens (2,157 from 1973-76) and Paintsville’s J.R. Vanhoose (2,069 from 1994-98).
Johnson’s 3,870 career points ranks sixth on the KHSAA’s all-time girls scoring list, according to online records last updated in 2023. Her 1,559 rebounds ranks 18th. Those totals include two seasons as a middle schooler playing varsity for Shelby County. She holds Sacred Heart’s school record for assists with 569 in 154 games, an average of 3.7.
As Mr. and Miss Basketball, Moreno and Johnson also earned the No. 1 jersey for their respective teams for the annual Kentucky-Indiana All-Start Series held each summer. Both players confirmed Sunday they will take part. Details of this year’s games, one in Kentucky and one in Indiana have not been released.
The Mr. and Miss Basketball awards are reserved for seniors and they are chosen from a previously announced list of KABC boys and girls region players of the year. All were honored at the ceremony, which also is a fundraiser for the KLEF, a charitable non-profit organization whose mission is to provide vision services to those in need. Mr. and Miss Basketball voters include KABC coaches, members of the high school sports media and past winners.
OTHER AWARDS
Ralph Beard Lifetime Achievement Award: Elisha Justice, 2010 Mr. Kentucky Basketball (Shelby Valley player, Pikeville coach).
Founders Coaching Award: Tony Hopper, 2009 Kentucky Boys All-Star coach (Apollo and other schools).
Kentucky All-Star Hall of Fame Inductees: Curtis Turley, 1988 Kentucky All-Stars boys coach (schools include Lexington Catholic and Henderson County); Erica Hallman, 2002 Miss Kentucky Basketball (Holmes).
Donna L.J. Murphy Award (for “great” female student-athlete): Halle Collins, Knox Central.
Wallace C. “Wah Wah” Jones Award (for multi-sport athlete): James Burnett, St. Xavier.
William “Mr. Wildcat” Bill Keightley Award (for team manager): Chance Baugh, Beechwood.
2025 KABC BOYS REGION PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
1st Region: Jonah Butler, Calloway County; 2nd Region: Rex Blue, Dawson Springs; 3rd Region: Ty Price, Butler County; 4th Region: Robert “Ant” McAfee, Warren Central; 5th Region: Connor Loy, Adair County; 6th Region: Noah Glover, Fern Creek; 7th Region: Justice Decker, Manual; 8th Region: Armelo Boone, Woodford County; Aaron Gutman, Walton-Verona; 9th Region: EJ Walker, Lloyd Memorial; Andy Johnson, Cooper; 10th Region: Garyn Jackson, Campbell County; 11th Region: Malachi Moreno, Great Crossing; 12th Region: Trevor Ellis, Mercer County; 13th Region: Maddox Huff, Harlan County; 14th Region: Evin Eversole, Hazard; 15th Region: Jaden Stewart, Pike County Central; 16th Region: Zander Carter, Ashland Blazer.
2025 KABC GIRLS REGION PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
1st Region: Hannah Glisson, Graves County; 2nd Region: NeVaeh Day, Christian County; 3rd Region: Peyton Bradley, Meade County; 4th Region: LaReesha Cawthorn, Franklin-Simpson; 5th Region: Leah Macy, Bethlehem; 6th Region: Noel Smith, Whitefield Academy; 7th Region: ZaKiyah Johnson, Sacred Heart; 8th Region: Lainey Johnson, Anderson County; 9th Region: Caroline Eaglin, Newport Central Catholic; 10th Region: Nicole Archibald, Bracken County; Ciara Byars, George Rogers Clark; Brooklyn White, Paris; 11th Region: Nataya Strader, Madison Central; 12th Region: Grace Mbugua, Danville Christian; 13th Region: Brooke Nichelson, North Laurel; 14th Region: Kyra McAlarnis, Knott County Central; 15th Region: Sophie Adkins, Lawrence County; 16th Region: Kenleigh Woods, Ashland Blazer.
Past Mr. and Miss Basketball winners
MR. BASKETBALL:
2024: Travis Perry (Lyon County)
2023: Reed Sheppard (North Laurel)
2022: Turner Buttry (Bowling Green)
2021: Ben Johnson (Lexington Catholic)
2020: Dayvion McKnight (Collins)
2019: Dontaie Allen (Pendleton Co.)
2018: Trevon Faulkner (Mercer Co.)
2017: Taveion Hollingsworth (Paul Laurence Dunbar)
2016: Carson Williams (Owen Co.)
2015: Camron Justice (Knott Co. Central)
2014: Quentin Snider (Ballard)
2013: Dominique Hawkins (Madison Central)
2012: Nathan Dieudonne (Trinity)
2011: Anthony Hickey (Christian Co.)
2010: Elisha Justice (Shelby Valley)
2009: Jon Hood (Madisonville)
2008: Darius Miller (Mason Co.)
2007: Steffphon Pettigrew (Elizabethtown)
2006: Walt Allen (South Laurel)
2005: Domonic Tilford (Jeffersontown)
2004: Chris Lofton (Mason Co.)
2003: Ross Neltner (Highlands)
2002: Brandon Stockton (Glasgow)
2001: Josh Carrier (Bowling Green)
2000: Scott Hundley (Scott Co.)
1999: Rick Jones (Scott Co.)
1998: J.R. VanHoose (Paintsville)
1997: Brandon Davenport (Owensboro)
1996: Daymeon Fishback (Greenwood)
1995: Charles Thomas (Harlan)
1994: Elton Scott (Marion Co.)
1993: Jason Osborne (Male)
1992: Tick Rogers (Hart Co.)
1991: Jermaine Brown (Fairdale)
1990: Dwayne Morton (Central)
1989: Allan Houston (Ballard)
1988: Richie Farmer (Clay Co.)
1987: John Pelphrey (Paintsville)
1986: Rex Chapman (Apollo)
1985: Tony Kimbro (Seneca)
1984: Steve Miller (Henry Clay)
1983: Winston Bennett (Male)
1982: Todd May (Virgie)
1981: Phil Cox (Cawood)
1980: Ervin Stepp (Phelps)
1979: Dirk Minniefield (Lafayette)
1978: Doug Schloemer (Holmes)
1977: Jeff Lamp (Ballard)
1976: Darrell Griffith (Male)
1975: Dom Fucci (Tates Creek)
1974: Jack Givens (Bryan Station)
1973: Wesley Cox (Male)
1972: Jerry Thruston (Owensboro)
1971: Jimmy Dan Conner (Anderson Co.)
1970: Robert Brooks (Madison)
1969: Ron King (Central)
1968: Terry Davis (Shelby Co.)
1967: Jim McDaniels (Allen Co.)
1966: Mike Casey (Shelby Co.)
1965: Butch Beard (Breckinridge Co.)
1964: Wes Unseld (Seneca)
1963: Mike Redd (Seneca)
1962: Mike Silliman (St. Xavier)
1961: Randy Embry (Owensboro)
1960: Jeff Mullins (Lafayette)
1959: Pat Doyle (North Marshall)
1958: Harry Todd (Earlington)
1958: Ralph Richardson (Russell Co.)
1957: Billy Ray Lickert (Lafayette)
1956: Kelly Coleman (Wayland)
MISS BASKETBALL:
2023: Haven Ford (Rowan County)
2022: Amiya Jenkins (Anderson Co.)
2021: Brooklynn Miles (Franklin Co.)
2020: Maddie Scherr (Ryle)
2019: Savannah Wheeler (Boyd Co.)
2018: Seygan Robins (Mercer Co.)
2017: Lindsey Duvall (Bullitt East)
2016: Erin Boley (Elizabethtown)
2015: Maci Morris (Bell Co.)
2014: Ivy Brown (LaRue Co.)
2013: Makayla Epps (Marion Co.)
2012: Sydney Moss (Boone Co.)
2011: Sara Hammond (Rockcastle Co.)
2010: Sarah Beth Barnette (Lexington Christian)
2009: A’dia Mathies (Iroquois)
2008: Tia Gibbs (Butler)
2007: Rebecca Gray (Scott Co.)
2006: Arnika Brown (Christian Co.)
2005: Carly Ormerod (Sacred Heart)
2004: Crystal Kelly (Sacred Heart)
2003: Megen Gearhart (West Carter)
2002: Erica Hallman (Holmes)
2001: Katie Schwegmann (Brossart)
2000: Jenni Benningfield (Assumption)
1999: Jody Sizemore (Leslie Co.)
1998: Beth Vice (Montgomery Co.)
1997: Rachel Byars (Union Co.)
1996: Jaime Walz (Highlands)
1995: Ukari Figgs (Scott Co.)
1994: Laurie Townsend (Apollo)
1993: Brandi Ashby (Webster Co.)
1992: Becky McKinley (Bullitt East)
1991: Ida Bowen (Sheldon Clark)
1990: Kim Mays (Knox Central)
1989: Lisa Harrison (Southern)
1988: Kim Pehlke (Doss)
1987: Mary Taylor (Marshall Co.)
1986: Kris Miller (Owensboro Catholic)
1985: Brigette Combs (Whitesburg)
1984: Carol Parker (Marshall Co.)
1983: Clemette Haskins (Warren Central)
1982: Connie Goins (Western Hills)
1981: Lillie Mason (Olmstead)
1980: Lisa Collins (Laurel Co.)
1979: Beth Wilkerson (Paris)
1978: Irene Moore (Breathitt Co.)
1977: Geri Grigsby (McDowell)
1976: Donna Murphy (Newport)
This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 9:55 PM.
