Malachi Moreno’s return to Kentucky came with enormous expectations.
After testing the NBA Draft waters, Moreno ultimately decided to return to Lexington for his sophomore season, giving Mark Pope a potential centerpiece in the frontcourt. But according to Pope, Moreno’s summer development did not immediately go according to plan.
In fact, the Kentucky coach admitted he was frustrated with his young center during the first four weeks of summer workouts.
“Malachi knows this: The first four weeks of the summer, I was really frustrated with Malachi,” Pope said during Kentucky’s preseason media day. “I felt like we were stuck in molasses, and then there was a little bit of stubbornness, and we were kind of fighting with it.”
Moreno didn’t disagree.
Speaking with reporters afterward, the sophomore acknowledged that he wasn’t responding to Pope’s coaching the way he needed to.
“I was just being stubborn,” Moreno said. “(Pope) tried to give it to me in an easy way, and I wasn’t hearing it the right way.”
Then came the turning point.
Moreno revealed that he, Pope and his brother sat down for a meeting that ultimately changed his approach.
“I had a meeting with him and my brother, and then that kind of just gave me a big turning point,” Moreno said. “And ever since then, I’ve never looked back.”
Pope certainly noticed the difference.
The Kentucky coach said Moreno’s development during the second half of the summer, followed by his work during the fall, has been “almost unrecognizable” in terms of the skill set he has brought to the court.
Moreno also knows that his physical development will be critical this season.
As a freshman, he averaged 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, but he admitted that the physical demands of SEC basketball exposed areas he needed to improve.
“Last year, you could see in games, I was getting thrown around and getting tired super easily,” Moreno said. “I can’t be that way anymore. I can’t be getting tired in two-minute spurts. I can’t be getting thrown around in the paint.”
That is one reason Kentucky’s practices could prove especially valuable. Moreno has been going against 7-foot, 270-pound Washington transfer Franck Kepnang, giving him a physical challenge every day.
Kepnang has seen the transformation firsthand.
“Malachi is a beast,” Kepnang said. “He’s been on the glass. He’s been an anchor for the team. He’s been hitting, reading the right read every single time. He’s sprinting the floor. He’s blocking shots.”
Pope has also pointed to significant improvements in Moreno’s interior scoring, quickness and rim protection.
The sophomore’s passing has reportedly taken another step as well. In a recent scrimmage, Pope said Moreno recorded three assists in the first four minutes, highlighting his potential to become more involved in Kentucky’s offense.
With Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic joining the roster, Kentucky has another scoring option capable of taking pressure off Moreno. But Pope still expects Moreno to become one of the team’s leaders.
“He’s taken on a leadership role where our guys see him as a leader and a veteran on this team,” Pope said.
The early frustration may ultimately prove to be an important chapter in Moreno’s development.
What started with stubbornness and a difficult first few weeks has turned into a much different summer and fall. Now, Kentucky is counting on the sophomore center to carry that progress into the season and show why his return to Lexington was such an important part of Pope’s plans.
