UNC Basketball: Giant Prep Cuts Numerous Suitors From Recruitment

Part of the Tar Heel offer spree in late May, Great Crossing High School (Ky.) center Malachi Moreno now lists the UNC basketball program among the surviving contenders for his 7-foot-1, 220-pound services.

On Monday afternoon, Moreno told On3’s Joe Tipton that he’s down to eight schools in his recruitment: UNC, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio State, Iowa, and Louisville. The 17-year-old four-star, who has climbed from No. 53 at this time last year to No. 28 overall and No. 2 among centers on the 247Sports 2025 Composite, had racked up over two dozen offers.

Among the programs he has now eliminated from consideration are two of the Tar Heels’ ACC foes in Virginia Tech and NC State.

Although Tipton reported that there’s no timeframe for a decision in the high-profile race, Moreno has previously given himself a deadline of Oct. 24, his 18th birthday.

He has already visited Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and Iowa. Per Tipton, he has yet to schedule any upcoming visits; however, 247Sports’ Jeff Rabjohns recently reported that Moreno will check out Indiana again on an official visit, alongside another 2025 UNC basketball target in Greenfield-Central School (Ind.) four-star guard Braylon Mullins, the third weekend in September.

For now, Malachi Moreno remains in the group of 15 undecided rising high school seniors who have received an offer from UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis and have yet to reveal a list of finalists that doesn’t include the Tar Heels.

Moreno is the only center on UNC’s wishlist.

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