Kentucky currently has two players committed in the 2025 class and both of these players are five-stars. Kentucky’s two committs in the 2025 class are five-star guard Jasper Johnson and five-star center Malachi Moreno.
NBA Draft Room recently released their 2026 NBA Mock Draft, and both Johnson and Moreno were selected in this draft. It had Johnson going 16th overall and Moreno going 23rd overall.
When it comes to these two players, Johnson seems to be the guy who could end up being a lottery pick with his ability to shoot and his elite athleticism. Johnson is one of the best shooters in the 2025 class and very well could be a 20 points per game type of player in the league.
Moreno, on the other hand, is an interesting player when it comes to NBA upside. The NBA favors big men who can shoot, which isn’t a big part of the seven-footer Moreno’s game. This will be something he works on to help him better prepare for the NBA. While Moreno is a very highly ranked player, it still feels like he could be a multiple year college player. There is definitely a world where Moreno is a one-and-done player who could go in the first round.
Coach Pope said he wanted to have a solid mix of one-and-done talent with veteran players, and that is exactly what the 2025-26 roster will look like for this Kentucky basketball team. Coach Pope will produce a lot of NBA talent during his time as Kentucky’s coach.
