The Kentucky Wildcats have secured the top talent from the collegiate basketball transfer market.
Late on Monday evening, previous Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic pledged his allegiance to the Wildcats, as reported by numerous sources. Momcilovic secured the third position in On3’s transfer assessments subsequent to withdrawing his name from potential NBA Draft entry. Following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, Momcilovic simultaneously made himself available in the transfer portal while also investigating the possibility of declaring for the draft.
Both Kentucky and their local competitor, Louisville, were seen as the primary two candidates vying for Momcilovic’s services.
Throughout his collegiate career, Momcilovic has distinguished himself as a premier marksman. In the previous season, he posted an average of close to 17 points per contest, connecting on almost 49% of his 3-point attempts from beyond the arc, taking 7.5 shots per game. His effective field goal rate surpassed 67%. This particular achievement placed him third among athletes in major conferences, a statistical group predominantly featuring taller players who generally attempt shots nearer to the hoop.
Across his entire career, Momcilovic holds a 46% shooting accuracy overall and hits nearly 43% of his shots from long range. During his sophomore year in 2024-25, he maintained an average just shy of 40% from deep, while simultaneously scoring 11.5 points per game.
A significant acquisition for the Wildcats
The significance of Momcilovic joining the Wildcats cannot be easily overstated. Kentucky is currently undertaking a substantial roster reconstruction, anticipating what promises to be a crucial third campaign under the guidance of coach Mark Pope.
Momcilovic represents Kentucky’s sixth new transfer player this offseason and stands out as the highest-rated athlete within UK’s incoming transfer cohort. Prior to his decision, Kentucky’s recruitment class was positioned at 79th nationally, a consequence of seven players departing, among them Mouhamed Dioubate (now with LSU) and Collin Chandler (now with BYU).
This adept scorer will immediately be relied upon to shoulder a considerable portion of Kentucky’s offensive responsibilities, especially with Otega Oweh unavailable. Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen — who has exhausted his eligibility but is also trying to return to Florida for an additional season — constituted the sole two Wildcats to achieve an average of at least 10 points per game during Kentucky’s disappointing 22-14 season, which culminated in a defeat against Momcilovic and Iowa State in the second stage of the NCAA tournament.
