There’s always a moment in preseason when things change. A player steps up, the energy shifts, and suddenly the conversations in the gym are different. For Kentucky, that moment might have already happened — and it’s created real buzz around a dark horse candidate to earn a starting spot.
Early expectations were that guys like Jayden Quaintance, Brandon Garrison, and Otega Oweh (once fully healthy) would headline the lineup. But insiders say practices have revealed another story: players such as Malachi Moreno, Reece Potter, and Kam Williams are making serious noise, to the point where the coaching staff can’t ignore them.
One name that keeps popping up is Malachi Moreno. At 7-foot-1, the freshman big has impressed with his shot-blocking instincts and energy on the glass. “He’s not backing down from anybody,” a source noted. “He’s altering shots, sprinting the floor, and showing he’s ready for more than just spot minutes.”
Meanwhile, Reece Potter, who many pegged as more of a developmental piece, has taken major strides. His ability to stretch the floor as a 7-footer has been on full display, knocking down threes in live scrimmages and carving out space on the defensive end. The idea of pairing him with a more traditional big like Garrison has coaches experimenting with new lineups.
And don’t sleep on Kam Williams, one of the new recruits who has shown no fear attacking veteran guards in practice. His speed in transition and willingness to defend at the point of attack have drawn praise from teammates, with some even comparing his energy to the spark plug role that previous Kentucky guards have thrived in.
The shift became obvious when Pope gave extended first-team reps to both Moreno and Potter during a recent practice scrimmage. Instead of looking out of place, they held their own — even outplaying projected starters in stretches. The gym lit up when Moreno swatted back-to-back shots at the rim, followed by Potter drilling a corner three in transition.
For Big Blue Nation, the real takeaway is depth. Kentucky doesn’t just have a locked-in starting five — it has multiple players pushing for spots. And that competition is fueling the program’s trademark toughness.
As one assistant put it: “This team is deeper than people realize. When guys like Moreno, Potter, or Williams push the veterans, it raises the bar for everyone.”
Whether one of them cracks the starting lineup remains to be seen. But the buzz is real, and the fact that unexpected names are emerging only makes this Kentucky team more dangerous.
Big Blue Nation already had optimism heading into the season. Now, with dark horse starters rising in practice, March dreams feel even more alive.
