Kim Mulkey's LSU signee ZaKiyah Johnson and Kentucky Wildcats signee Malachi Moreno win top Kentucky basketball honors

LSU signee ZaKiyah Johnson and Kentucky Wildcats signee Malachi Moreno clinched the prestigious title of Mr. and Miss Kentucky Basketball 2025 on Sunday. The awards were presented by The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation and the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches at Lexington's Griffin Gate Marriot.

"Malachi Moreno and ZaKiyah Johnson were announced as 2025 Mr. and Miss Kentucky Basketball at an awards ceremony on Sunday."

ZaKiyah Johnson clinches Miss Kentucky Basketball

Sacred Heart High Academy's (Kentucky) ZaKiyah Johnson holds the fourth rank as a shooting guard in the Class of 2025 and is ranked 11th nationally.

With the latest achievement, Johnson has become the first Miss Basketball winner from Louisville since Adia Mathias in 2009. In addition to that, she is the third athlete from Sacred Heart after Crystal Kelly and Carly Ormerod. She was also selected for the 2025 McDonald's All-American roster.

She expressed her joy at her new achievement per Courier-Journal.com.

“If I had to put it into one word, I’d just say ‘surreal,'" Johnson said. "It’s just so exciting, something that hasn’t been seen often – four state championships, four Gatorades, four MVPs. Then you add Miss Basketball on top, it’s just like the sprinkles to the top of your cake.”

Malachi Moreno clinches Mr. Kentucky Basketball

Malachi Moreno (Great Crossing High School, Kentucky) is the top basketball player in Kentucky and the top center in the Class of 2025. In his high school career at Great Crossing, he has accumulated 2,392 points and 1,896 rebounds.

Moreno is the first player from his high school to win this honor and the second player from the 11th Region to win this title after Lexington Catholic High School's Ben Johnson in 2021. In addition to this recent achievement, Moreno is also a part of the 2025 McDonald's All-American roster.

Great Crossing coach Steve Pager complimented Malachi's athleticism and praised his performance.

"One thing about Malachi that you don’t see in the stats is that he makes our defense so much better because people don’t come at him much. And if you do, he blocks 10 shots like he did in the regional final. If he doesn’t do that, we’re not playing in Rupp Arena.”

Malachi Moreno signed with the Kentucky Wildcats in August last year. With this latest honor, he is now the third Wildcats signee after Reed Sheppard and Travis Perry to receive this honor.