Florida's massive frontcourt will be another first-time test for Malachi Moreno

In a season filled with firsts for Malachi Moreno, Saturday’s matchup with Florida will be another new experience for the Kentucky freshman center.

The Gators roster one of the best frontcourts in the entire country. Thomas Haugh (6-9, 210), Alex Condon (6-11, 230), and Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 245) make up a starting front line for Florida that can do a little bit of everything. With plenty of size and various skillsets, those three juniors have fueled the Gators’ streak of winning nine of their last 10 games.

Moreno (and the rest of Kentucky’s frontcourt) has taken on talented bigs all season long, including Gonzaga, North Carolina, Tennessee, etc., but this Florida group presents another new kind of challenge for the rookie out of Georgetown.

“He’s gonna face Chinyelu, who’s a guy he’s never faced,” UK head coach Mark Pope said of Moreno on Thursday. “A style of play that he has not faced, and it’s gonna be really exciting. A front line like Tennessee is something he hadn’t faced before. They’re different than Gonzaga’s front line, and he was in a much different role than he was before. As a freshman, you get to face something you’ve never seen before. It’s a first time for everything.”

There’s been plenty of college firsts so far for Moreno. He went from coming off the bench to begin the season to being a full-time starter by late November. His playing time was cut when Jayden Quaintance played in four games, even being removed from the starting five for one game against Missouri, which would be Quaintance’s last appearance since then for the Wildcats. There were times throughout the season when Moreno looked and played like a freshman, but he’s generally found ways to respond.

“I think he was disappointed with his first half at Tennessee,” Pope said. “I think that stuck with him over the last few weeks. He’s like, that’s not happening again.”

And it didn’t happen again. After posting three points and six rebounds in round one against Tennessee, he responded with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in round two.

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“He did it really beautifully in two huge possessions,” Pope added. “One with just two minutes left in the game against Tennessee, where he just said, I’m not going to be denied here as an offensive player going to work. He’s got the ability to do that. So we just want to keep growing that and fostering that.”

Pope is encouraging even more physicality out of Moreno. He wants to allow Moreno more defensive and playmaking freedom. Through 11 SEC games, Moreno is averaging 7.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.1 blocks in 22.7 minutes per outing on 56 percent shooting. He grades out as a top 50 shot blocker in the country, per KenPom. Only 11 turnovers counter his 23 assists in conference play.

“He is putting together a really terrific freshman season,” Pope said. “And he’s not even scratching the surface of what he’s going to be.”

What will Moreno do against a red-hot Florida team in an arena he’s never played in? In a season filled with firsts, they won’t get much more challenging than this.