Mark Pope will have to wait a little while longer to see if a major part of his plan for this Kentucky basketball offseason comes to fruition. Malachi Moreno announced Monday night that he will be back at UK for the 2026-27 season, but there’s a catch.JPG)
. Moreno will go through the 2026 NBA draft process. If he decides to withdraw from the draft, he’ll play next season for the Cats. Moreno — a 7-footer from Georgetown and the state’s Mr. Basketball last year — made that announcement on his Instagram account. “After a lot of prayer, and after sitting down with my family and the people I trust most, I’ve decided to take the next step in chasing my dream,” Moreno said in his post. “I will be entering the 2026 NBA draft while maintaining my college eligibility. I’m looking forward to learning through this process, competing, and continuing to develop my game as I evaluate what’s best for my future.
“Representing this state and wearing Kentucky across my chest is something I’ve never taken for granted. If I’m back in college next season, it’ll be right here with Big Blue Nation.” College players will have until May 27 to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain their NCAA eligibility. As
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