Good news? Kentucky has signed experienced center Franck Kepnang, who will support Malachi Moreno. The bad news? Malachi Moreno may not be in Lexington to keep him on the bench. That would be a tragic turn of events.
Moreno told the media (according to Isaac Trotter) why he would not be participating in the upcoming 5-on-5 drills at the NBA Draft Combine. After speaking with my brother and agent, they felt I was in a very good position.
Most of the time, according to historical data, a player who skips the 5-on-5 drills remains in the draft. And all indications suggest that the New York Knicks, at least, will provide positive feedback, especially since they have a late first-round selection.
What will Kentucky do now? What could possibly be next?
Kentucky big man Malachi Moreno provided excellent insight into his next steps in the decision-making process.
He decided not to engage in today’s scrimmage after his agent informed him that “he felt I was in a pretty good spot. ” pic. twitter. com/xtTSdYBOsT
Mark Pope has already indicated that Malachi Moreno is his top priority this offseason and that he anticipates him to make a significant jump. Moreno’s declaration that he would stay with Kentucky appeared to have achieved the former goal, but the NBA Draft was, and continues to be, a major catch.
Moreno’s representative, George Langberg, appears to feel that the kid has a strong chance of being picked early enough to compensate for what should be a sizable NIL agreement in Lexington. Langberg, curiously, also represents Nerlens Noel and Amari Williams, both former Kentucky big men.
If Moreno’s brother and agent believe he has a strong chance of receiving a positive selection, Kentucky should seek to maintain a break-glass contingency plan. With only Reece Potter, Franck Kepnang, and Ousmane N’Dyaie standing taller than 6-foot-9 on the squad, the Cats are in the difficult position of having to find someone both large and talented late in the offseason.
Surveying Available Talent.
Three semi-big-name big men are now available in the transfer portal:
Lenoir Rhyne’s Conrad Luczynski (7-foot-2)
Ja’Quay Randolph (6-foot-10) of Southern Wesleyan.
Georgia Tech’s Peyton Marshall (7 feet)
Adding foreign prospect Michael Ružić may help this search, but with the two former prospects no longer in the D2 realm, and the latter averaging only three points and three rebounds per game, the possibilities are quite restricted. Nonetheless, they are your options.
It is my ambition to play in the NBA. So, I’m approaching it with my best foot forward, Moreno stated. You can’t blame any youngster, especially a Kentucky one, for pursuing his goals. Either way, the BBN will support him.
But it’s fine to accept that Coach Pope and the Cats would be in a tough situation if he does leave. Two sides of the same, rusty coin.
