With Milan Momcilovic officially deciding to return to college and testing the transfer portal last night, Mark Pope and Kentucky have now turned their full attention to the sharpshooter as the centerpiece for the coach’s third-year roster.
Thanks to leftover NIL funds amounting to millions after losing out on Tyran Stokes Pope has a chance to recover from that miss and finalize what could be an exceptionally strong lineup. And while the Wildcats aren’t the only team in the hunt, they appear to be firmly in the mix.
According to 247Sports’ Kyle Tucker, a familiar voice in Kentucky media, the battle for Momcilovic is “realistically probably a Kentucky vs. Arizona affair.”
On the surface, Tommy Lloyd versus Mark Pope might not favor the latter, especially after Arizona’s Final Four run this past season. But Kentucky may hold an edge over the fellow Wildcats: Momcilovic has already spoken positively about a potential fit in Lexington, and those comments have energized Kentucky fans.
Revisiting Momcilovic’s remarks
Speaking with Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader at the NBA Combine before his decision, Momcilovic said, “I think Kentucky would be a good fit…” But there’s more to it.
“I obviously went against Pope at BYU his first year (in the Big 12), and I loved how his team played,” Momcilovic added. “I think we went 1-1 against them, but they killed us at their place, because they fly the ball up the court and shoot 3s. I really like the way they play.”
“…But I think if I were to choose Kentucky that would be a good fit for me. I feel like I’d be a great player for him, and he’d be a good coach for me.”
A mutual fit
As Kentucky and Arizona compete for Momcilovic with Louisville still technically, if not aggressively, involved it’s worth revisiting how the forward himself has framed a possible move to Lexington.
His 48% shooting from deep, as often as it’s been mentioned, could fully revive the three-point-heavy offense Pope was known for at BYU. It would open up Kentucky’s entire attack, and Momcilovic would immediately become the team’s presumed leading scorer.
Arizona can also make a case for his role, especially with star forward Koa Peat staying in the draft, but Pope seems to have a unique claim to the exact system he runs. What’s more, Momcilovic already recognizes that.
Kentucky will need to rely on that connection along with a few million dollars to seal the deal and completely shift the trajectory of the offseason.
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