Malachi Moreno last night
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
Assuming Garrison starts and Pope does not pick up an experienced big through the portal, how effective do folks think Moreno can be against quality competition next year ?? Is he ready to step up to that level of play ??
Going to be tough to expect much from freshman who aren't phenoms. I have to imagine we're going to have at least one more experienced big. I don't really have a grasp on who we can expect back. But if all that's there is Garrison and Moreno (who imagine is maybe more of a PF/C hybrid), then we're going to have some room for a true center, or even a backup center we can use in a pinch.
He will have to put on a lot of weight to be effective in the SEC. Looks like he could be a better version of Amari Williams if Pope wanted to use him that way. Hope he stays 2-3 years and we get to see the mature version of his talent. Still want to see him hit a mid-range jumper.
Showing an impressive assortment tools for a young man. Future is bright
Pope will get him where he needs to be. Kid is gonna be an excellent fit in this system
Will not be ready to contribute next year...body needs work, and needs work on quickness. A good 3-4 year player with good hands and skills.
We will need a big from the portal to go with Garrison.
We will need a big from the portal to go with Garrison.
We need him to hit the juice, another 30lbs of muscle just to bang around in the SEC. He also needs to work on his hands becoming stronger to name a few things. He has a ways to go to help us next season.
I hope he is phenomenal here. However, just speaking about this video... it looks like he's playing against jr. high kids. Very low level of talent for the other team.
Yup. Need an experienced 'street fighter' inside.
He will not be ready to contribute at a high level next year. Seen him play a couple times. He is very good for his age, but sec 4s and 5s will eat him alive right now. The skills are there, but he needs a lot more muscle before he’s ready to bang underneath.
This dude is an excellent prospect. I think we need 2 at every position, plus combos. One that can play some 2g and pg. And one that is big enough to play some center and pf. They don't have to be world beaters. Look how bad we are without a decent 3rd string pg. We can't defend the spot or run the offense and it is killing us.
He's a project yr 1. Maybe spell the frontcourt for a few mins but I think he'll develop given time.
I've given up on any High School assessments when it comes to points given what is going on with Perry.
Walked past him at Rupp on Saturday. Legit 7’0-7’1. Has the frame to put on muscle.
Assuming it's Garrison and him at the 5, I would hope we go after some beefy 4's in the portal. Garrison isn't the most physical big out there and Moreno is going to be a skinny freshman. I think Pope's seen firsthand this season just how physical the SEC is, and knows that's an area for improvement
Moreno is not as skinny as a lot of 7 foot high schoolers. He doesn't need to add a lot of weight, just muscle. He can handle the ball, but I have yet to see a highlight of him hitting a shot more than 5 feet from the basket. Then again, Amari Williams has only attempted one 3 pointer on the season. So 3 point shooting ability doesn't seem necessary at that position in Pope's offense. I think he is much more ready to play right away than any of this year's freshmen.
The Franklin County HS talent pool has declined drastically since the days when Johnny Lykins was the coach.
Looks about like Williams,, in the low to mid 60%.. 61% this year,, 68% and 64% last two years..
Yeah, Moreno's height is listed all over the place - from 6'10" to 7'1." But seeing him, he's a legit 7-footer. Also to your point, he definitely has a frame (broad shoulders) to put on muscle and he isn't skinny now. Being that Moreno is still a high school kid he still has maturing to do, but I don't see calling him skinny in comparison to most high school Bigs.
I don't understand kids that are thought of highly not hitting the weight room
15 lbs will do wonders to a 17 year old
15 lbs will do wonders to a 17 year old
A lot of it is lack of nutritional info and weight training guidance.
Eating as a family often means eating the same portions as your non-athlete, slow metabolism, 40+ year old parents. With the amount of exertion in basketball, a 17 year old his height would need 4000 daily TDEE calories to just maintain weight, much less gain it.
You get the occasional freak like Zion or LeBron. Or you get the severely overweight from junk food and bad diets. But most 6’8+ 16-17 year olds aren’t getting enough nutrition and sure as heck aren’t getting 1-1.2 grams of protein per goal body weight. Only the gym bro HS body builder types are actively researching and trying to hit goal macros at that age
If you think Garrison is that good this year?
Moreno could def provide something like 6 + 5 in 20min.
Moreno will be a least a solid rotation player
Very thoughtful and perceptive post. I have been around trainer types who are reluctant to implement advanced weight training principles with young athletes who have had significant recent growth. Their emphasis is more on stretching, agility and higher reps with lighter weights. Moreno's growth should be leveled off now and his body should be prepared to ramp up his training regimen. It will help that he is in Scott County, a stone's throw from UK's training facilities, strength and conditioning staff and nutrition experts. I expect him to be bigger and stronger by the beginning of next season.
