WATCH: KSR Reacts to Malachi Moreno's return to Kentucky

Malachi Moreno is officially coming BACK to Kentucky!

The seven-footer announced the good news to the Big Blue Nation on Sunday night, pulling his name out of the 2026 NBA Draft pool to gear up for his sophomore campaign in Lexington. Moreno was named to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team in 2025-26 after going from third-string center in the preseason to Kentucky’s starting big man just five games into the season. He averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 22.6 minutes per outing as a rookie on 58.2 percent shooting.

Having Moreno back in the fold for 2026-27 was almost a necessity for head coach Mark Pope. Losing him to the NBA would have been classified as a borderline disaster. Instead, Kentucky will now have one of the best centers in college basketball roaming the paint on next season’s roster. There are areas of Moreno’s game that need improvement, but he’s been consistent with his development over the last few years. A big sophomore season could be in store.

What does Moreno’s return mean for both his NBA future and Kentucky’s potential for next season? That’s what the KSR crew is here to talk about. Click the video below to hear our takes!

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