Great Crossing High School (Ky.) rising senior Malachi Moreno, one of only two centers from the class of 2025 with a UNC basketball offer, including the Tar Heels among his top eight choices in late June. The 7-foot-1, 230-pound four-star prospect’s other finalists are Notre Dame, Arkansas, Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, and Kentucky.
Moreno, aiming to finalize his recruitment by his 18th birthday on Oct. 24, has scheduled an official visit with the Tar Heels for the second weekend of September.
However, earlier this month, the highly sought-after big man, ranked No. 26 overall and No. 1 in Kentucky on the 247Sports 2025 Composite, took an unofficial visit to Kentucky. He also has an official visit with the Wildcats scheduled for the second weekend of October, which will be his final trip.
On Monday, 247Sports’ Travis Branham, a leading insider on Kentucky-related recruitments, made a Crystal Ball prediction favoring Mark Pope’s Wildcats, tagging it with a “high” level of confidence. This is the first Crystal Ball pick in the race for Malachi Moreno.
UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis and his staff have yet to secure a commitment for the 2025 class. Although they have extended offers to 18 undecided recruits in the cycle, several targets have already removed the Tar Heels from consideration.
