Malachi Moreno just got a brutal reminder of what life is like for a big man in the SEC. During Kentucky’s 87-82 opening-round win over LSU, Pablo Tamba went to the rack with authority. Moreno, a freshman 7-footer who refused to concede the space, rose to challenge him. The result? Moreno got dunked on big time, Tamba was assessed a Flagrant 1 for the follow-through, and Moreno walked off the court with a visible shiner under his eye.
But Malachi Moreno knows it’s not getting knocked down that sucks; it’s not getting back up that does.
LSU's Pablo Tamba just detonated on Kentucky 7-footer Malachi Moreno.
— Toyloy Brown III (@TJ3rd_) March 11, 2026
What a vicious 1-hand jam from the forward from Spain pic.twitter.com/7zVFkaxrsP
The mentality of a big man
“I’m a big man, so everybody gets dunked on every now and then,” Moreno told the media after the game, shiner and all. He’s right. If you are willing to go up for a block, you are going to get posterized eventually, and definitely more than once. But if you never jump, you never get any blocks either.
While Moreno didn't have his most efficient night, his willingness to protect the rim, even at the cost of a black eye, is exactly the mindset Kentucky needs for a deep run.
Leave it all on the floor and let the chips fall where they may. That's all you can do.
The 5 games in 5 days gauntlet Kentucky basketball finds itself in
Kentucky is currently attempting to do something that has only happened three times in the modern era of conference tournaments: winning five games in five days.
- UConn (2011)
- NC State (2024)
- Georgia Southern (2026)
Note: Georgia Southern's run ended just one game short of an NCAA berth when Troy knocked them off in the Sun Belt championship in GSU's 6th game in 6 days.
“We’re 1-0, so this is a big win for us, but now we’re back to 0-0 moving on to tomorrow,” Moreno noted. Taking it one game at a time is the only way to survive the Nashville gauntlet.
What's next?
Kentucky may have to win four more to cut down the nets, but they have a center who isn't afraid to take a hit for the team. Malachi Moreno's shiner isn't a mark of failure; it's a badge of honor. In the magic words of Jonathan McReynolds:
"I'm gonna try, try, try, try, try."
Flip on over to the SEC Network at 12:30 PM ET to see if the Cats can move back to "1-0 with a revenge win over Missouri.