The long wait is finally over for Big Blue Nation, and it strangely feels surreal: Milan Momcilovic has now officially joined the rest of the Kentucky roster for the 2026-27 season. Summer practices are just around the corner, and photos of the team together are already surfacing on Kentucky Men’s Basketball’s X account, including the first images of Momcilovic in the blue and white.
Shared via a repost by BleedBlueCasey, Momcilovic is currently wearing No. 3 temporarily (he’ll eventually take over No. 22 thanks to the generosity of Braydon Hawthorne). The photos show him mid-dribble and posing with his family in the standard locker-room shoot for every new Wildcat.
After an entire offseason filled with speculation about whether the five-star forward would commit, finally seeing it happen is an endless source of excitement for Cats fans many of whom likely doubted things would work out this way.
Yet here we are. Mark Pope successfully brought in one of the nation’s top transfers, putting Kentucky in a position to compete with nearly any opponent provided their three-point shooting performs as expected.
Kentucky Can Hang With Anyone
Now, I don’t expect this Kentucky team to start the season in the top 10; that’s not impossible, but the Wildcats will probably land somewhere between 15th and 20th.
And that’s perfectly fine. Pope’s first Kentucky squad entered the season just inside the top 25 before upsetting a top-ranked Duke team and jumping up the polls almost immediately. Not only am I comfortable with an underdog team led by Pope I almost prefer it.
Besides, no matter where national outlets rank Kentucky, landing the best scorer in the country (a very defensible claim for a player who shot 48% from deep last season) puts the Cats in an excellent position.
It also helps that Pope has built a playmaking backcourt and experienced, physical depth suited for the SEC. I believe this roster is better than many outsiders realize.
A Better Roster Than People Give Credit For
That’s not to say Kentucky doesn’t have potential concerns turnover issues and a lack of overwhelming size top that list. But before seeing this team actually take the floor in the fall, Momcilovic’s addition is the kind of move that truly completes the vision.
And now, Kentucky fans have an official first look at that vision. Get ready for practice clips and photos to drop soon, BBN. We’re largely moving out of the recruiting phase and into the buildup for what could be Coach Pope’s most important season yet in Lexington.
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