Former Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic, a 2026 All-Big 12 selection, announced on social media Monday that he has committed to Kentucky out of the transfer portal.
Last season, Momcilovic averaged 16.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, and shot 48.7 percent from 3-point range on an average of 7.5 attempts. The 6-foot-8 forward led the nation in 3-point percentage and helped lead the Cyclones to a 29-8 record last season and a run to the Sweet 16.
Along the way, the sharpshooter, who spent all three of his college seasons in Ames, Iowa, scored 20 points and knocked down four 3-pointers in an 82-63 win over Kentucky in the round of 32. Now, he’s chosen to join coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats.
Momcilovic was No. 4 on The Athletic’s transfer portal rankings.
Momcilovic was considered one of the premier players in the transfer portal and went through the pre-draft NBA process before deciding to return to college and join Kentucky. It’s a huge win for the Wildcats, who finished second in the recruitment of No. 1 high school prospect Tyran Stokes. Stokes committed to Kansas in late April.
BBN!💙 pic.twitter.com/2MB1iYREk8
— Milan Momcilovic (@MilanMomcilovi5) June 2, 2026
The 21-year-old Momcilovic joins a Kentucky roster that includes three incoming four-star transfers and one consensus four-star high school commitment in guard Mason Williams, according to 247Sports. The Wildcats went 22-14 last season with a 10-8 record in SEC play, finishing tied for seventh in the conference and reaching the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament.
How Momcilovic fits in with the Wildcats
The addition of Momcilovic makes Kentucky a preseason Top 25, giving Pope a proven star. Momcilovic is capable of playing a higher-usage role and becoming a go-to guy. At Iowa State, the Cyclones ran a lot of the offense through Joshua Jefferson and Momcilovic played as more of a spot-up shooter. He is elite at that, making 136 3s as a junior. But he can be much more than that, comfortable playing in the mid-post or at the elbows, utilizing a back-down game and an unguardable Dirk Nowitzki-esque turnaround, one-foot fadeaway. This will make role definition a lot easier. Before Momcilovic, it likely would have put a lot of pressure on Furman transfer Alex Wilkins to be one of the team’s primary scorers. He could still become that, but Momcilovic is the guy Pope should now build around. He is different from Stokes, but he plays the same position and now makes it way easier to stomach that Kentucky lost out on Stokes. — C.J. Moore, college basketball writer
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