Malachi Moreno – Chet White, UK Athletics<\/p>\n
Malachi Moreno<\/a> didn\u2019t come to Kentucky to temper expectations; he wants to establish a legacy by hanging banners in Rupp Arena.<\/p>\n A 6-foot-11 freshman out of Georgetown, KY \u2014 just a short drive down the road to Lexington \u2014 and lifelong fan of the Wildcats, Moreno understands the program\u2019s historic standard. Anything short of a Final Four appearance is below it. He knew that when he committed to Kentucky in the first place. Now over halfway through summer practices, being inside the belly of the beast feels different than expected, but it doesn\u2019t change the motive.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a standard here at Kentucky, and that\u2019s to be the best, and that\u2019s to want to be the best,\u201d Moreno told reporters Thursday. \u201cSo being a local guy, I feel like growing up, you understand what the assignment is. But it\u2019s also new territory at the end of the day\u2026 As long as we all have the same mindset for winning number nine, I think we\u2019ll be in really good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n Kentucky head coach Mark Pope<\/a> has made some aesthetic changes to the practice gym to reflect that line of thinking. Earlier in the offseason, Pope arranged it so that eight blue banners now hang on the walls of the bottom of the Joe Craft Center, each one signaling the year of a national championship-winning Kentucky team.<\/p>\n But a ninth white banner sits on the far right with #9 inscribed on it \u2014 a constant reminder of what\u2019s at stake for Moreno and the rest of his teammates.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got one goal and one goal only, and that\u2019s to win number nine,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cWhether I play five minutes or 25 minutes, as long as we\u2019re winning, I couldn\u2019t care less.\u201d<\/p>\n Moreno might end up seeing more than just five minutes per game, at least early on in the season, considering the likelihood that Jayden Quaintance<\/a> is still recovering from his ACL injury. He could easily end up playing a significant role in helping the \u2018Cats make a deep run in 2025-26. But regardless of what his freshman season looks like on the floor, Moreno will still be a kid in a candy store when he wears his Kentucky jersey for the first time.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna feel great,\u201d He said of putting on the jersey. \u201cI\u2019m a local kid, and it\u2019s something I\u2019ve always dreamt of. I feel like it\u2019s really going to hit me once I see Kentucky number 24 with Moreno on the back. I think that\u2019s going to be real sentimental moment for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n