In a normal year he would probably be a late first round just on potential.
This is not a normal year. This is a very strong and deep draft class.
Either way Moreno is several years removed from being an NBA contributor.
Kentucky has 3 Mock Draft Picks for 2026
- Thread starter Farsight Clone
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This is not a normal year. This is a very strong and deep draft class.
Either way Moreno is several years removed from being an NBA contributor.
No, he wouldn’t. ESPN doesn’t even have him projected in the top 60 picks right now. The NBA does not care if you are a McDAA or what you were rated in high school. They draft on potential, but they have to see a glimpse of that potential. So far in college, Moreno has shown post defense, rebounding, paint scoring and shot blocking. That’s all —- and none of that is NBA 1st round draft pick material at this point in time. No idea why this is even an argument.
I agree they draft on potential. They couldn’t care less about that other stuff.
I think you’re selling that potential short.
No. I’m being honest and realistic. If he showed any of those other skills it would be a different story. The NBA drafts on potential, not random dice rolls.
Has Moreno shown any potential to be anything other than a paint scorer and defender? No. There’s your answer right there.
Can he show other stuff? We don’t know yet, but we sure hope he will in future seasons. I love the kid and think he can be an AA here. However, 1st round NBA pick means more than what he’s shown. Shouldn’t even be a debate.
We don’t have enough real talent. I mean JQ’s. We need dogs. Like Dybantsa. Brown. Wilson etc every year from HS and a few star transfers as in like top 15-20 transfers in the country fr. But DA’s game will translate to the league. He’s the type that will get better each year and prolly carve out a bench role for some years. But he needs to step it up for us. We need more than Owen. JQ Mo D. And Lowe half the game to put points up consistently. Lowe needs to start and play 30 a. Game. DA needs to make shots and put up points in big games. But na. I don’t think MM’s ready at all after this year. And he’ll be back. He and JJ will both be all SEC types 26-27. Another year of getting stronger. Better. Etc he’ll be a top 20 pick. MM is gonna a beast. I could see him giving us 14 and 9 with a blk or 2. And JJ leading with 15pts. 4ast. 40 plus from 3.
Enough real talent for what? On average national champions in the last ten years have one NBA first round draft pick and we have one. We have enough talent —- our issues are elsewhere.
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Well, it’s not a debate. It’s a difference of opinion.
I accept your opinion and I’m not trying to change it.
Whether or not MM will be a 1st round NBA draft pick in 2026 is based on facts, not either of our opinion. Anyone who disagrees, I’ll offer something I normally don’t. I’ll bet $250 right now if anyone wants to gamble on it. I don’t believe in gambling, but this would really just be accepting free money. Any of these people arguing with me —- put your $250 on the line or just hush —- you don’t even believe what you’re saying.
See: Injuries.
Literally anything that happened before the last 2 games is now irrelevant.
Not to me.
We didn’t lose 3 of the 4 games because we were undermanned because of injuries.
We were not prepared and we didn’t play hard.
We got totally embarrassed in MSG and Bridgestone.
We might have lost those games anyway?
But to not even try to win is inexcusable.
Pitino’s first team here went 14-14. And everyone loved them. They were undermanned every game. But played their asses off to win.
I love how people choose which button to press on these things. Pitino lost 150-95 to Kansas because he refused to stop playing “our style” —- and I love that —- if you do that in the social media era, we come online and talk nonstop how the coach doesn’t care, players don’t care etc. I always advocate for how much that 14-14 team is one of my favorites to rewatch. I use context when discussing that team, something people do NOT use when discussing teams today. Example, some of our fans will disregard the effect that Maluach and Flagg’s cramps had in the Duke game last year. A lot of fans will die on the hill of not using “injuries as an excuse”, as though we would have won the 2012 natty if Davis had a season-ending injury. It’s really just silly and proves people do not reason.
MM needs to work on positioning & possessing balls he gets his hands on but misses. Like a wide receiver- if it hits your hands you got to catch it. That Comes with strength & conditioning. He can become KY Legend next year.
JJ can be the General next year & be a DOG. Similar to OO last year.
CC & Trent will return . Kam definitely stays because of BBN.
BG & Jelly leave- LOWE huge ???
Hawthorne will depend on $$$$ & who signs from 26 class.
Potter fills big hole left by JQ & BG departure.
Great if Mo comes back to fulfill his potential & be All SEC.
Aberdeen goes Pro with OO & JQ.
5 to 7 spots open next year .
The next 10 weeks will determine the future of Ky hoops for 2026 - 27.
Go Big Blue
JJ can be the General next year & be a DOG. Similar to OO last year.
CC & Trent will return . Kam definitely stays because of BBN.
BG & Jelly leave- LOWE huge ???
Hawthorne will depend on $$$$ & who signs from 26 class.
Potter fills big hole left by JQ & BG departure.
Great if Mo comes back to fulfill his potential & be All SEC.
Aberdeen goes Pro with OO & JQ.
5 to 7 spots open next year .
The next 10 weeks will determine the future of Ky hoops for 2026 - 27.
Go Big Blue
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If they get back:
Lowe, JJ, CC- guards are golden
Moreno, Jelly, Mo D, Kam- 4/5 is solid
Question mark is the 3- Kam, JJ could play there, leaving MM, Jelly, Mo D to man the 4/5
I suspect BG leaves.
Thats a nice base to start with... but they really alpha male scorers. Maybe JJ and Lowe play that role next year, but that would be the recruit Id chase.
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We have plenty of talent.
We just don’t have anything like twenty-two million dollars worth of talent.
I really don't know, but it's possible. It’s December, we have seen guys shoot up the draft board after showing out in the NCAAT, so, it is possible.
And why do I have to leave it alone? It's a thread about guys getting drafted.
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You keep saying the NBA drafts on potential, but then you keep following it up with talking about what Moreno has shown in college. Which is it?
What he has shown, is that he has potential. If Edwards can get drafted after looking like garbage for a full season, Moreno has a shot. It’s only December/January and we haven't even started conference play yet.
The NBA drafts on size, length and athleticism first, does Moreno have those things, or not?
The college game is completely different from the NBA, so I don't believe they put that much stock into what kids do in college, unless they are completely dominant.
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Who is arguing with you? Why are you taking it that way? I haven't seen any arguing, I have seen a difference of opinion and the reason for that is, it can't be fact based, none of us knows for a fact how this is all going to play out.
That’s fair. But yeah, I do know he ain’t going pro in the first round this year. It isn’t happening. But I also understand where something like this seems like a subjective thing to others (it isnt.)
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A lot to like about Moreno. If he returned and showed some range on an outside shot, he could be a lottery pick. I think Aberdeen could be drafted in the second round, depending on how conference play goes.
Suppose Moreno never improves his foot speed and he winds up a four year player…that doesn’t mean he failed. Not everyone has a game that translates to the NBA. I think it is much more likely that Moreno is a four-year college player than becoming a first round pick. I don’t base that on my opinion — I base that on knowing exactly what NBA franchises look for in first round bigs. Some people think the NBA gets the “best players from college”. That couldn’t be further from the truth — it’s two completely different games and an Oscar, Moreno, and Drew Timme can be incredible college players but NBA journeyman/end of the bench type players and that doesn’t mean they failed.
I actually find the notion frustrating— many of our fans think you have to have a collection of NBA players…No! This is college! We need 5+ excellent COLLEGE players. Studies show having one player with 1st round NBA talent is helpful, but even that isn’t a hard requirement.
Give me all the Travis Ford, Oscar Tshiebwe, Malachi Moreno and Dale Browns. You can have all the BJ Bostons.
I actually find the notion frustrating— many of our fans think you have to have a collection of NBA players…No! This is college! We need 5+ excellent COLLEGE players. Studies show having one player with 1st round NBA talent is helpful, but even that isn’t a hard requirement.
Give me all the Travis Ford, Oscar Tshiebwe, Malachi Moreno and Dale Browns. You can have all the BJ Bostons.
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He can do all those things you mention regarding improvement. He's a smart, polished guy for his age.
He can…with time. We were talking about the 2026 draft specifically and this goofball article that erroneously has MM as a first rounder now.
And to be clear, it will take ALOT of work to get there. He could be the next Joel Embiid, but so far he looks more likely to be a four year player than an NBA 1st round pick. That’s just the truth.
He’s in the league showing out last I saw.
Some guys are bound and determined to go pro, hopefully MM isn’t like that and hopefully his NIL deal is good enough to keep him around.
I hope you're right. He's going to be really good in year 2.
100% agree with the bolded part and I've said that exact thing for years. Look at all the teams winning titles, it's usually a collection of top notch college veterans that have played together for a while. Some of them play well enough to end up getting NBA deals (Walter Clayton).
We have a very good collection of talent on this team, it's just not working well together right now and injuries have caused a lot of that.