NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Ranking top 8 teams for 2025 top-30 center Malachi Moreno
One of the top centers in the 2025 NCAA Basketball recruiting class is Malachi Moreno, a consensus four-star prospect who 247sportsComposite has ranked in the top-30 overall. He's the top recruit in the state of Kentucky, listed at 7'0 who is a good athlete for his size and length.
Moreno projects to be a legit two-way player, capable of providing interior defense while also running the floor and being a lob threat. He has no clear weaknesses in high school, which makes him a genuine long-term prospect for college and possibly the pro ranks.
Recently, Moreno announced a list of eight teams in the mix, including a couple of local options. Which of them is the best potential fit? Here's a power ranking of the teams in terms of both roster fit and the potential to win.
NEWS: 7-footer Malachi Moreno, a top-20 recruit in the 2025 class, is down to eight schools, he tells @On3Recruits.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 24, 2024
The rising senior is the No. 1 ranked center in the country, per On3. https://t.co/RxZUQJO8XR pic.twitter.com/iLE7ljYSZZ
8. Ohio State Buckeyes
Normally, Ohio State is a legit landing spot for prospects and even now is still a highly-notable program. Two main issues here would give a player pause compared to the others. The first is the unproven factor of HC Jake Diebler and the other is the freshmen transfers, Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw. Both could be breakout candidates that go pro or could be steady starters for the next couple of years. If that happens, Moreno would have to deal with a logjam up front.
7. Iowa Hawkeyes
There's a strong chance that freshman big man Owen Freeman will play some at the five-spot, now that Ben Krikke is gone. He and Moreno could be a good fit together in the frontcourt but the bigger issue is that Iowa and HC Fran McCaffery seem to be on the downturn as a program and he may not be around for many years. Compared to other teams, Iowa isn't as stable a program.