Kentucky Basketball Aims to Secure Commitment from 5-Star Transfer Milan Momcilovic

The Kentucky Wildcats have made a handful of transfer portal moves following their second-round loss to the Iowa State Cyclones in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Mark Pope has already landed five commitments this offseason, with the Wildcats’ transfer class tied for fourth in the SEC.

Their biggest addition so far has been four-star center Franck Kepnang (Washington Huskies). However, the coaching staff is looking to make an even bigger splash with former Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic.

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After declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, he has until May 27 to withdraw his name and return to college. Kentucky has been pushing for a commitment, even speaking with Momcilovic via a Zoom meeting, according to On3’s Jacob Polacheck.

Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball coach Mark Pope.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

He’s regarded as one of the best players on the open market. 247Sports transfer rankings list him as a five-star recruit, the No. 1 power forward and No. 2 player to hit the portal this offseason.

While landing Momcilovic would give the Wildcats a major boost, he may come with a big price tag. 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter reports that the forward is expected to land a multi-million dollar deal if he returns to college.

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“I think the number for me is closer to $6 [million] at Kentucky or maybe even higher than that… It’s just hard to leave $6 million on the table, and I think he would probably get in that ballpark,” Trotter said.

It’s a total that surpasses his On3 NIL valuation of $2 million, which is already tied for the seventh-highest in college basketball. However, he has proven to be a valuable asset when on the court.

Momcilovic appeared in all 37 games for the Cyclones last season, averaging 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and one assist. He also shot 50.6% from the field and 48.7% from beyond the three-point line.

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With less than one week to withdraw from the draft, though, time is running out for Kentucky to land a commitment. However, the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kentucky-basketball-aims-secure-commitment-173726506.html

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Publish date : 2026-05-21 17:37:00

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