Moreno Now Ahead of JQ in the Draft - #24, Gone, IMO

JSquad0070

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I just don’t see Moreno as an NBA player. He’s a throwback big that’s MAYBE good from 15 feet out. (Not saying he can’t develop a 3.) But he’s limited athletically and is slow. Not that great of a defender either. He doesn’t have the passing/vision of someone like Jokic or Nurkic to survive as a lumbering big man. Jahlil Okafor was probably the most skilled post player in the past 10 years as far as offensive moves go and more athletic than Moreno but he was out of the league after a few years even after a 17 and 8 rookie season with 1.2 blocks per game just because he can’t move laterally or shoot a 3. (He could also shoot midrange) Moreno may be a better defender but it’s not by much.
 

MaysviileKY

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If he just wants money, then, go for it. If he wants to get to the NBA and have a chance, stay in college, get all the playing time you can AND here's the most important part, get stronger. He needs to get stronger or he will forever be a "dunker spot" player. He offers no spacing for guards because he hasn't shown enough that he can effectively step away from the rim to score. That can work in college. It's not going to give him a long NBA career.
I don’t think you are considering that once out of college there are no other time restrictions or school obligations. Basketball in the NBA would literally be his job. The team will give him trainers, nutritionists, psychologists, etc. It would be just up to Moreno to put in the time.

There’s a reason SGA is the league MVP now versus when he came out of college.
 
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Mar 22, 2026
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Of course it's possible and before NIL he'd likely be gone but there is a good reason a lot of us aren't worried about MM staying in the draft. It's not our first draft; some of us have kept up with the NBA draft for a very long time and you get an idea of what they're looking for and that changes over time. Right now they want their centers to be either great on defense and extremely big or athletic or a pure shooter.

MM isn't a bad shooter but he also isn't a great shooter. He's got good size but not great athleticism; he will never be particularly quick nor an above the rim player. When they look at MM's potential they won't ever think he'll be dominant low post guy or a great 3 point shooter. In other words, they'll see him as a journeyman. Those type guys go in the 2nd round or undrafted; with MM it'll probably be 2nd round because of his youth. But I also think it'll be 2nd round whenever he leaves and a 2nd contract is not for certain. MM might be one of those players that never makes as much after college as in college.

The mocks are just writers or fans making guesses at this point.
Lol, thank you for proving my point!
 
Mar 22, 2026
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I let it go the first time. I really believe coming to this place just to be rude is incredibly stupid so I've decided that I don't need to hear any more of your particular stupidity. Ignored.
Glee Tissue Box GIF by Disney+
 
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#1 cat fan

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Moreno ain't leaving UK until at least after this coming season. Mark it down. I am not surprised he might be seen as ahead of JQ. JQ has nearly zero skill on the offensive end. He is a rim runner and capable defender. That's it
Except his ball handling is the life and can take his man off the dribble. Idk if there's any more important offensive skill than that .
 

BlueBloodKyFan72

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JQ is a talented kid but I find it difficult to believe that he couldn’t have played at the end of last season. The sequence of events leading up to him sitting out is very suspicious. If I were an NBA GM I would consider that about him before I would take a chance on drafting him.

I would take Moreno over him if I were a GM, but I’m not and am not even close to being qualified to scout players lol 😂
I’m not either on the Gm level but MM versus JQ overall IMO MM has the higher upside. JQ is a freak athlete but he’s damaged goods with poor overall upside he can’t shoot from anywhere on the floor versus MM who can overall.
 
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TFCat11

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Brandon Garrison is a better basketball player than JQ, so no surprise there!

JQ’s problem with his, “Fake it, until you make it” scheme, was he was trying to figure out where to hide for an additional year until he was draft eligible…

Play an extra year in high school, and potentially get exposed there, or risk two years in college, and play the injury card, instead of definitely getting exposed there!

JQ eventually had to get in the court, and when he did, it was quickly apparent, he only looked like a basketball player, instead of actually being a basketball player.
 

SldrofFortune

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Apr 23, 2026
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Of course it's possible and before NIL he'd likely be gone but there is a good reason a lot of us aren't worried about MM staying in the draft. It's not our first draft; some of us have kept up with the NBA draft for a very long time and you get an idea of what they're looking for and that changes over time. Right now they want their centers to be either great on defense and extremely big or athletic or a pure shooter.

MM isn't a bad shooter but he also isn't a great shooter. He's got good size but not great athleticism; he will never be particularly quick nor an above the rim player. When they look at MM's potential they won't ever think he'll be dominant low post guy or a great 3 point shooter. In other words, they'll see him as a journeyman. Those type guys go in the 2nd round or undrafted; with MM it'll probably be 2nd round because of his youth. But I also think it'll be 2nd round whenever he leaves and a 2nd contract is not for certain. MM might be one of those players that never makes as much after college as in college.

The mocks are just writers or fans making guesses at this point.
Literally all of the people that do this for a living say he's a first round pick. Not sure why that's so hard to believe. Forgive me, but I'm going to believe them over some random guy on the Rafters that thinks he knows more than people that are paid to do this. At least one playoff team is having him do workouts for heaven's sake. They don't do that for 2nd round guys that might not even get drafted. It's okay to be wrong. It isn't the end of the world. It happens sometimes to all of us. That being said, I think he will be back unless he's a lottery pick, and I don't see him being a lottery pick unless he REALLY surprises people in workouts. Don't see that happening though.
 
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philstat

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Brandon Garrison is a better basketball player than JQ, so no surprise there!

JQ’s problem with his, “Fake it, until you make it” scheme, was he was trying to figure out where to hide for an additional year until he was draft eligible…

Play an extra year in high school, and potentially get exposed there, or risk two years in college, and play the injury card, instead of definitely getting exposed there!

JQ eventually had to get in the court, and when he did, it was quickly apparent, he only looked like a basketball player, instead of actually being a basketball player.
BG better, haha, let’s not get too carried away, though I believe JQ is brutally overrated, he’s an excellent athlete, he has a minimum post game, can’t score on mid-long range jump shots, like many NBA bigs, KAT ex, and he’s horrendous at shooting FTs.
 
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Smeegs

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Literally all of the people that do this for a living say he's a first round pick.
What nonsense. I’ve seen ONE …only one …of the many mock drafts out there that list him as a first rounder. That represents just one guy’s opinion. There are other mocks that don’t include his name at all.

So how are you “literally all” from that? Please explain.
 
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anot

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We've got some bitter fans for sure lol
On here talking about JQ has no offensive skill. Lol go back and watch that st johns game. Moreno will never be able to make some of the plays JQ made in that game

JQ is 14th in the most respectable mock
Moreno in 2nd rd
Jq looked good against Saint johns. I remember making a AD comparison post after that game 🤣. That's the only thing that makes me think he did reinjure or something. He wasn't the same after that game.
 

rivercatinfl

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Moreno ain't leaving UK until at least after this coming season. Mark it down. I am not surprised he might be seen as ahead of JQ. JQ has nearly zero skill on the offensive end. He is a rim runner and capable defender. That's it
This will be a learning experience for Moreno. Hopefully the NBA will tell him what to improve upon and he will come back to school. I can't see as a first round pick this year myself.
He will get paid this year at UK and if he does improve will be a top ten pick in 27.
 

TeamAmerica

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This will be a learning experience for Moreno. Hopefully the NBA will tell him what to improve upon and he will come back to school. I can't see as a first round pick this year myself.
He will get paid this year at UK and if he does improve will be a top ten pick in 27.
He will never be a Top 10 pick. That's not how the NBA works.
 

FilsonCat

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JQ is a project player at the NBA level. He's coming off a knee injury and hasn't been playing in actual games for a while. Drafting him in the lottery is risky. He's probably gonna slip down to a team that doesn't have an immediate need but is willing to try to develop him.
 

Smeegs

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He will get paid this year at UK and if he does improve will be a top ten pick in 27.
He’s never gonna be a top 10 pick, and his draft stock could also easily fall if he comes back for another season …especially if he gets injured.

The reason why his projected draft spot has dramatically risen in the last month is because of the unusual number of draftable bigs choosing to stay in school this year (see Haugh, Condon, Ngonba, Bidunga, Krivas, etc.). There simply aren’t that many decent center prospects in this year’s draft. Which has raised Moreno’s projected spot way up without him having to do a damn thing.

There’s no guarantee things are gonna break that way for him next year. In fact, they probably won’t. Who knows, this year might end up being the best chance he gets to go first round.
 

Cat_Man_Blue

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Jq looked good against Saint johns. I remember making a AD comparison post after that game 🤣. That's the only thing that makes me think he did reinjure or something. He wasn't the same after that game.
You are spot on. That was the best defense I had seen from a big man since AD. There is no way a player can go from looking so amazing in a game and looking so average the next game. He was dealling with an issue after the St. Johns game. People who say he had to hide to keep from being exposed are overlooking the fact that he played 24 games at AZ State and was a projected lottery pick based on that play. Even with some offensive limitations he is a tremendouse player when he is healthy. I won't argue wether he could have returned to play later in the season or not, but JQ is an outstanding player when it comes to defense, rebounding and shot blocking.
 
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theBlues

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Literally all of the people that do this for a living say he's a first round pick. Not sure why that's so hard to believe. Forgive me, but I'm going to believe them over some random guy on the Rafters that thinks he knows more than people that are paid to do this. At least one playoff team is having him do workouts for heaven's sake. They don't do that for 2nd round guys that might not even get drafted. It's okay to be wrong. It isn't the end of the world. It happens sometimes to all of us. That being said, I think he will be back unless he's a lottery pick, and I don't see him being a lottery pick unless he REALLY surprises people in workouts. Don't see that happening though.
So you agree with me that he will withdraw from the draft? I hope you realize that every player that goes in the 2nd round was a possible first round draft pick.

I've never said it was impossible for MM to go late in the first round; I've said 2nd round was more likely so it's almost a certainty that he withdraws.

We won't know if he would have gone towards the first round when he withdraws and he will withdraw unless somebody in the first round gives him a guarantee. I might turn out to be wrong but, since it's a prediction of the future, I'm damned sure not wrong yet.
 

theBlues

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I've never understood why these snowflakes have to announce that they're putting someone on ignore
Because I like for people like you to KNOW they are not welcome to enter my home via my computer screen or any other way.
Also, it's a way to get in the last word. Like now.
Also, it's funny when they go sign up for a new anon account and quote themself to try to send you a message. Bye.
 

Drogon

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We need him. Lets just hope he stays. There are benefits both ways for him, but for us, we only benefit one way- him returning.
 
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BookofMormon

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What nonsense. I’ve seen ONE …only one …of the many mock drafts out there that list him as a first rounder. That represents just one guy’s opinion. There are other mocks that don’t include his name at all.

So how are you “literally all” from that? Please explain.
Moreno is not first round -
 
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#1 cat fan

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Brandon Garrison is a better basketball player than JQ, so no surprise there!

JQ’s problem with his, “Fake it, until you make it” scheme, was he was trying to figure out where to hide for an additional year until he was draft eligible…

Play an extra year in high school, and potentially get exposed there, or risk two years in college, and play the injury card, instead of definitely getting exposed there!

JQ eventually had to get in the court, and when he did, it was quickly apparent, he only looked like a basketball player, instead of actually being a basketball player.
Jesus. Your ability to understand basketball is impressive really.
The entire season was awful because we didn't have a pg that could get us in offense. We started a horrendous 2g that couldn't dribble a basketball in Chandler. Anything we got was off a lucky spot up shot. I would almost bet you were huge Chandler fan because he made 2 3s a game lol
It's amazing how bad JQ is ,with a serious knee injury and will still be taken lottery or slightly lower
 

#1 cat fan

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Moreno will not be a first round pick this year. Maybe next year or in two years.
Maybe... He's very slow and extremely soft. Just like jasper Johnson, I can't believe neither of those kids put in work in the weight room .
 
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