In today’s age of college athletics, it’s hard for a prestigious program like Kentucky to recruit homegrown players; due to NIL and the power of branding, they can really pull players from anywhere in the country, and as of more recent, the world.
A mid-major school that doesn’t have the same recruiting pulls as a power-five program typically has more success with homegrown players, but at Kentucky, spots are limited.
However, this year’s 2026-27 Kentucky basketball roster houses four Kentucky natives: Malachi Moreno, Jerone Morton, Trent Noah and Reece Potter.
Let’s take a look at these four Bluegrass natives who boast Kentucky pride and scout the roles that they will have in effort of winning UK’s ninth national title.
Malachi Moreno (Georgetown, KY)
Moreno, a Great Crossing High School alumnus, is the star of the bunch.
The seven-foot center earned a spot on the All-SEC Freshman Team last season, averaging 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.2% from the field.
Moreno provided flashes of dominance last season, cementing a season-high of 18 points against Valparaiso, a season-high of 11 rebounds across three different games, while recording three separate double-doubles, one of which came in a hostile road environment against the defending national champions, No. 14-ranked Florida.
During that mid-season road contest in Gainesville, Moreno contributed 11 points, 11 rebounds, one assist and one block in a 92-83 Kentucky defeat.
It didn’t take Moreno a whole lot of time to adjust to the pressure of not just playing for Kentucky, but the pressure of playing college basketball as a whole.
He nailed a thrilling, game-winning buzzer beater on the road against LSU towards the start of SEC play, sitting as the sole reason why UK was able to leave Baton Rouge with a much-needed, confidence-boosting victory early on in conference play.
Moreno is projected to be the Wildcats’ starting center, sitting ahead of Washington transfer Franck Kepnang, and he has received high praise across the college basketball community, with many labeling the rising sophomore as a top-ten player at his position throughout all of college basketball.
Jerone Morton (Lexington, KY)
Morton, a George Rogers Clark High School alumnus who won a KHSAA State Championship in 2022, transfers in from Washington State.
The 6-foot-4 point guard began his college career in the Bluegrass at Morehead State, where he spent two seasons before becoming a Washington State Cougar, competing in the WCC.
Through his freshman and sophomore stints with the Eagles, Morton played in 60 games and started in 22, averaging 2.2 points and 0.6 assists his freshman season before taking a massive leap to 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds his sophomore season.
Last season at Washington State, Morton averaged 7.8 points, 2.6 assists and 0.8 steals through 32 games played and 29 games started. Morton shot 38.7% from the field and 43.8% from downtown.
He showed an encouraging performance at No. 12 Gonzaga on Feb. 10, scoring 15 points while adding two rebounds and four assists in an 83-53 loss. Recording a stat line like that, on the road, against a national-title caliber team like Gonzaga, is a serious sign that the incoming Cat has what it takes to compete against brawny teams in the SEC.
Washington transfer Zoom Diallo is UK’s projected starting point guard, but Morton will likely be head coach Mark Pope’s first go-to point guard off the bench.
Morton may not come out and drop 20 points a game; however, he can score and dish the ball, which will be crucial in tight, competitive SEC contests.
Trent Noah (Harlan, KY)
Noah, a Harlan County High School alumnus, is entering his third season at UK.
The 6-foot-5 forward had two similar freshman and sophomore seasons as a role player, accumulating a similar number of points, rebounds and assists along with an identical 3-point shooting percentage over those two years.
As a freshman, Noah averaged 2.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game while shooting 45.1% from the field and 33.3% from deep. As a sophomore, Noah averaged three points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game while shooting 35.5% from the field and 33.3% from downtown.
Noah has had to step in more times than expected over the past two seasons due to what seems like a recurring issue for Pope and Kentucky: injuries. The rising junior is expected to play a similar role in comparison to his first two seasons, which consists of rifling off 3-point attempts, rebounding, and being ready to contribute offensively and defensively when his number is called off the bench.
If Noah could elevate his scoring average to around seven points per game, I think UK fans — along with Pope — would be satisfied, and it’s definitely possible if you ask me.
Reece Potter (Lexington, KY)
Potter, a Lexington Catholic High School alumnus, is entering his second year at UK; however, he sits as a redshirt junior for this upcoming campaign after failing to see a minute of playing time last season.
The 7-foot-1 forward spent his first two college seasons at Miami (OH) where he built a decent stat line over the years, starring as an often-utilized big man.
As a freshman, Potter averaged 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, shooting 44% from the field through 26 games played and 11 games started. As a sophomore, Potter averaged 6.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 46.6% from the field through 30 games played with no starts.
Potter isn’t expected to see the court an awful lot, sharing the same position with three other caliber forwards who are all listed at 6-foot-8 and have much more experience. However, if Potter does get an opportunity on the court, his height and length could potentially help UK on the glass and defensive end as well.
We can see these four Kentucky natives star in front of their home fanbase on Friday, Oct. 2 during UK’s annual Big Blue Madness exhibition event. The tipoff time and viewing logistics for Big Blue Madness are yet to be announced.
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