Milan Momcilovic represents the most significant transfer acquisition Mark Pope has secured since arriving in Lexington, and there’s a strong chance this move could ultimately define his entire tenure with the Wildcats. As the nation’s leading three-point scorer, his value to Big Blue Nation is immeasurable.
How did Pope pull this off? According to Momcilovic himself during an interview with UK Sports Network, the coveted transfer chose Coach Pope precisely because he understood firsthand the difficulty of competing against his squads.
“I feel like just playing versus him at BYU really kind of stood out to me,” Momcilovic reflected. “My first year or two at Iowa State we played against him, and man, his teams were tough to play against.”
Although Pope’s Cougars and Momcilovic’s Cyclones split their final two meetings before Pope departed for Kentucky, Pope successfully contained his newest Wildcat in both matchups. The clearest evidence came on January 16, 2024, when BYU raced past Iowa State 87-72.
Momcilovic managed just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting, while BYU drained 13 three-pointers at nearly 40% from beyond the arc. “A lot of shot-making they had…” Momcilovic added, “He really likes playing with shooters, so obviously that’s my strength.”
Pope Playing to Momcilovic’s Strengths
Momcilovic did get a measure of revenge against Pope in last year’s NCAA Tournament, when a depleted Cyclones squad handled an even more shorthanded Wildcats team in the Round of 32. Now wearing Kentucky blue, Pope can unleash Momcilovic in the same manner he once neutralized him.
At Iowa State, Momcilovic frequently played second fiddle to talents like the recently drafted Joshua Jefferson and others. Despite averaging nearly 17 points per game and shooting just under 48% from three, Momcilovic never operated within an offense structured exclusively around him.
He wasn’t playing for a coach who prioritizes the long ball above all else. Both of those conditions are now satisfied in blue and white, positioning Momcilovic for an All-SEC breakout.
Pieces Falling Into Place
For that breakout to materialize, the rest of Kentucky’s roster must perform as expected. Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins will need to facilitate at an elite level to generate the looks Momcilovic requires to lead the Wildcats, and Malachi Moreno must deliver on his anticipated sophomore progression.
But assuming all components click into place and the roster remains healthy, this Kentucky squad possesses genuine potential to overwhelm opponents with a barrage of three-pointers. Whether you can beat them or not, if it’s Kentucky, you join them.
Milan Momcilovic could scarcely have found a coach more perfectly aligned with his skill set. His upside at Rupp Arena knows no bounds, provided everything unfolds according to plan.
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