NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Ranking top 8 teams for 2025 top-30 center Malachi Moreno

Great Crossing's Malachi Moreno (24) and teammates mob Vince Dawson (1) in jubilation after Dawson's last second shot lifted the Warhawks 48-46 over Newport at Thursday's 2023 Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass holiday basketball tournament at Fairdale High School. Dec. 21, 2023 / Matt Stone/The Courier Journal / USA

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3. North Carolina Tar Heels

Without Armando Bacot around, the Heels tried to land a transfer center and settle for Vandy forward Ven-Allen Lubin. Jalen Washington and four-star freshman prospect James Brown are in the mix and they could still use another big man like Moreno. He’d get a sizeable role and the success Bacot should be a nice selling point in this recruitment.

2. Indiana Hoosiers

Speaking of “selling points”, seeing Kel’el Ware go from a bench player at Oregon to a 1st-round pick in the recent NBA Draft should be very helpful for Coach Mike Woodson. He landed one of the top transfer big men in the portal this offseason in Oumar Ballo, who has one year left. Moreno would be able to slide in after him to be the next starting center and play for one of the top programs in all of NCAA Basketball.

1. Kentucky Wildcats

As the “hometown” option, Kentucky will stand out in Moreno’s recruitment. It also helps that the team is going to need additional frontcourt help in the 2025 class, as all but one big man (OK State transfer Brandon Garrison) will be moving on after next season.

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Yes, it’s now Coach Mark Pope running the program instead of John Calipari, which may have some effect on some of the state's top local prospects. Still, it’s Kentucky and the program's prestige still remains as high as ever. With early playing time available and the chance to stay close to home, the Wildcats could be the team to beat for Moreno.

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