A local high school boys basketball star will soon make his college commitment.

Malachi Moreno — a 6-foot-11, 230-pound center from Georgetown’s Great Crossing High School — will announce his college commitment Friday morning, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

Moreno — who is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as a four-star prospect and the No. 26 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class — will be announcing his college choice at 11 a.m. Friday.

The skilled big man is down to eight schools in his recruitment. Moreno will be choosing from a list that includes Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.

But, there’s a clear leader in Moreno’s recruitment. UK has emerged as the likely choice for Moreno on Friday based on a number of factors, including recent unofficial visits Moreno has taken to Lexington to meet with new UK head coach Mark Pope and other members of the Kentucky coaching staff.

247Sports national basketball analyst Travis Branham has logged a prediction for Moreno to commit to Kentucky.

Moreno had previously been targeting a fall commitment date before November’s early signing period, and he had several official visits set up to schools. Moreno had been set to visit Ohio State, North Carolina, Indiana and Kansas in September, followed by UK in October.

Obviously, those plans have changed and Moreno is now poised to be one of the first elite recruits in the 2025 class to make his college commitment.

Should Moreno follow expectation and commit to UK on Friday, he would be Pope’s first commitment as the Kentucky men’s basketball head coach.

Moreno is the top-ranked recruit in the state of Kentucky in the 2025 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite. UK has secured commitments from a bevy of in-state stars in recent years, including Reed Sheppard of North Laurel (2023), Travis Perry of Lyon County (2024) and Trent Noah of Harlan County (2024).

Last season at Great Crossing, Moreno was part of a Warhawks team that reached the Sweet 16 state tournament for the first time in the 5-year-old school’s history. Moreno averaged 16 points and 13 rebounds per game entering the Sweet 16, then added performances of 24 points and 19 rebounds (in an opening win against Spencer County) and 16 points and 15 rebounds (in a quarterfinal win against Magoffin County).

When Great Crossing was eliminated in the Sweet 16 semifinals by a Perry-led (and eventual state champion) Lyon County squad, Moreno had a 12-point, 14-rebound effort. It marked the first time all season Great Crossing lost to a Kentucky school.

Moreno is the early favorite for the 2025 Kentucky Mr. Basketball award, which went to Sheppard in 2023 and Perry earlier this year.

A solid rim protector who plays above the basket on offense, Moreno was a star on the Adidas grassroots circuit this spring and summer with his Indiana Elite team.

According to Synergy Sports, Indiana Elite ranked in the top seven in both offensive efficiency and defensive stops during the 2024 Adidas 3SSB season, and Moreno had the most dunks (33) of any player in the 17-and-under division.

Moreno was first offered a Kentucky scholarship by former UK coach John Calipari last October, but Pope quickly prioritized Moreno after being named Kentucky’s new coach in April.

Pope and his coaching staff watched Moreno several times in recent months across the country, including in Colorado at USA Basketball tryouts, in Florida at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, in Shelbyville at the KABC Titans-Rockets Summer Shootout and in South Carolina at the Adidas 3SSB championships.

“He’s come into this new job with his head high, ready to work and he makes sure all his players understand the assignment,” Moreno told the Herald-Leader about Pope. “He’s ready to work and he’s ready to get this next banner.”

Moreno’s older brother, Michael, recently finished a five-year basketball career at Eastern Kentucky and is that school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made.

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