Malachi Moreno recently received a harsh reminder of what it’s like to be a big man in the SEC. Pablo Tamba went to the rack with authority during Kentucky’s 87-82 victory over LSU in the first round. He was challenged by Moreno, a freshman 7-footer who refused to give up the space. The outcome? Tamba received a Flagrant 1 for the follow-through after Moreno was heavily dunked, and Moreno left the court with a noticeable shiner beneath his eye.
Malachi Moreno, however, understands that getting knocked down is not as bad as getting back up.
The mentality of a big man
Shiner and all, Moreno told the media following the game, “I’m a big man, so everybody gets dunked on every now and then.” He is correct. You will ultimately be posterized, and most likely more than once, if you are willing to go up for a block. However, you will also never receive any blocks if you never leap.
Even though Moreno didn’t play at his best tonight, his determination to defend the rim—even if it meant getting a black eye—is precisely the kind of attitude Kentucky needs to go far.
Let the chips fall where they will and leave everything on the ground. You can only do that.
The 5 games in 5 days gauntlet Kentucky basketball finds itself in
In the present era of conference tournaments, Kentucky is trying to accomplish something that has only occurred three times: winning five games in five days.
- UConn (2011)
- NC State (2024)
- Georgia Southern (2026)
Note: In GSU’s sixth game in six days, Troy defeated them in the Sun Belt championship, ending Georgia Southern’s streak just one game shy of an NCAA spot.
Moreno said, “We’re 1-0, so this is a big win for us, but we’re back to 0-0 moving on to tomorrow.” The only way to make it through the Nashville gauntlet is to take each game as it comes.
What’s next?
Kentucky has a center who isn’t scared to take a blow for the team, but they may need to win four more games to cut down the nets. Malachi Moreno’s shiner is a badge of honor rather than a sign of failure. In Jonathan McReynolds’ enchanted words:I’m going to give it my all.”
Watch the SEC Network at 12:30 PM ET to see whether the Cats can defeat Missouri in retaliation and return to “1-0.”
