No. 1 center Malachi Moreno will announce his commitment on Friday

Is Mark Pope on the cusp of landing his first commitment in the 2025 class? We’re about to find out.

Malachi Moreno, the nation’s No. 1 center, will be announcing his decision on Friday, August 16 at 11 a.m. ET. The 7-foot rising senior out of Great Crossing (KY) will choose between his final eight schools: Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.

According to On3’s Top-150 Player Rankings, Moreno is the No. 21 overall player in the class. He’s also the No. 1 player in the state of Kentucky.

The four-star prospect has had a standout spring and summer, proving to be among the best of the best on the Adidas 3SSB circuit while also thriving at USA Basketball Junior National Team U18 Training Camp, NBPA Top 100 Camp, Adidas EuroCamp and in the UA Next Elite 24.

That’s exactly what he’s looked to prove going into his final season of high school basketball.

“I’m one of if not the No. 1 big man in the country and when I’m playing my hardest, playing at my best, there aren’t very many players who can stay in front of me,” the top-25 prospect told KSR. “I just want to make sure people know I’m not here to play around, I always want to take care of business. I’m making sure everyone sees that.”

Kentucky sits comfortably as the firm leader for Moreno in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 79.3 percent chance to land the in-state standout.

The Wildcats could have their first pledge of 2025 before the end of the week.