The Big Blue Nation have been carefull tracking Mark Pope's momentum on the recruiting front all offseason. Fans have cheered and jeered as Kentucky drops in and out of endless lists, landing the occasional competitor amidst a sea of possibilities.
Yet, it wasn't until recently that Cats fans began to feel the threat of Malachi Moreno - a crucial returner and core contributor in equal parts - actually leaving for the NBA Draft. As his projections shot into the first round and professional teams seemed to have his name circled, the roof has nearly blown off of BBN numerous times in the past few weeks.
And now, as if the situation couldn't get any more stressful ahead of the May 27 decision deadline for potential draftees, Moreno himself has taken to social media to... well, what exactly is he doing here?
Two sets of eyeballs (now with 100+ replies) have the Kentucky faithful in disarray, wondering what exactly he means by this. I'm happy to venture a guess, but without any context, this one could really go either way.
Moreno Could Go Either Way
Personally, it seems like a longshot that Moreno would take to an app on which he is predominately followed by Kentucky fans to tease his leaving Lexington. BBN is going to have his back either way, but a tease like this one leading to his departure may cause a few folks to sour on the development.
👀👀
— Malachi Moreno (@malachimoreno24) May 19, 2026
Either way, with that aforementioned deadline just over one week away now, something seems to be on the horizon for Moreno in the way of a decision. With his posting online in this guessing-game manner, too, we could be looking at a matter of mere days now.
At least, in one week at the most, we'll have an idea as to how Kentucky's roster will shake out the rest of this offseason. Will Coach Pope be able to focus on one final big addition? Or will be forced to pivot, and scramble, to replace his hometown big?
A Decision Any Day Now
Most recently, Moreno was mocked to the Atlanta Hawks at pick No. 23 in the incoming draft by Kevin O'Connor and Yahoo! Sports. It's only a mock, but Moreno has consistently heard noise out of the first round, essentially since his entry into the pool in the first place.
It'll simply depend on what exactly he wants out of being drafted, and whether or not he gets a guarantee high enough to meet his needs in every facet.
I still believe a return to Kentucky is more likely, given the inevitably chunky check and developmental potential for Moreno, but he himself said that the NBA is his dream.
It's only a matter of time before we find out if he'll take another year to realize that dream.
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