The good news? Kentucky signed veteran cener Franck Kepnang, and he'll be eligible to back up Malachi Moreno. The bad news? Malachi Moreno may not be in Lexington to keep him on the bench. That'd be a cruel twist of fate.
Speaking with the media (per Isaac Trotter), Moreno revealed exactly why he would not be participating in the upcoming 5-on-5 drills at the NBA Draft Combine. "After talking with my brother and my agent, they thought I was in a pretty good spot."
Most of the time, when a player sits out the 5-on-5 drills, history suggests they stay in the draft. And all signs point towards good feedback from the New York Knicks, at least, who have a late first round pick.
If that's the case, where does it leave Kentucky? What could possibly be next?
Good stuff from Kentucky big man Malachi Moreno on what’s next for him in the decision-making process.
— Isaac Trotter (@Isaac__Trotter) May 13, 2026
He chose not to participate in today’s scrimmage because his agent relayed that “he thought I was in a pretty good spot.” pic.twitter.com/xtTSdYBOsT
An Incoming Scramble For Kentucky
Mark Pope has already expressed that Malachi Moreno was his top priority this offseason, and that he expects him to take a sizable leap. The former goal seemed met when Moreno accounced he'd stay with Kentucky - only, the NBA Draft was, and still is, a sizable catch.
Moreno's agent, George Langberg, seems to believe the big has a good shot at being selected early enough to offset what should be a hefty NIL deal in Lexington. Langberg, interestingly enough, is also the agent for former Kentucky big men Nerlens Noel and Amari Williams.
If both Moreno's brother and agent seem to think he has a good shot at a favorable selection, Kentucky should try and stay equipped with a break-glass backup plan. Though with only Reece Potter, Franck Kepnang, and Ousmane N'Dyaie being over 6-foot-9 on the roster, that leaves the Cats in the unenviable spot of having to find someone big and talented late in the offseason.
Surveying Available Talent
A trio of semi-big-name big men available in the transfer portal:
Lenoir Rhyne's Conrad Luczynski (7-foot-2)
Southern Wesleyan's Ja'Quay Randolph (6-foot-10)
Georgia Tech's Peyton Marshall (7-foot)
Adding in international prospect Michael Ružić may help this hunt, but with the two former prospects being out of the D2 realm, and the latter averaging just three points and three rebounds per game, the options are extremely limited. Yet, they're the options nonetheless.
"This is my dream to be in the NBA. So, I am looking at it with my best foot forward," said Moreno. You can't fault any kid, let alone a Kentucky kid, for chasing his dreams. The BBN will have his back either way.
But it's also okay to admit that Coach Pope and the Cats would be in a trying position if he does ultimately go. Two sides of the same rusty coin.
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