Kentucky’s last-minute transfer miracle still won’t get them in the preseason AP top 25

A disastrous offseason for the Kentucky Wildcats appears to have been salvaged at the last minute. Mark Pope pulled a rabbit out of his hat by securing the services of former Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic, the top remaining player in the transfer portal, on Tuesday.

Momcilovic, who flirted with the NBA Draft before deciding to return to college, showcased his perimeter shooting prowess throughout the season for the Cyclones. That performance included a staggering 48.7 percent mark from beyond the arc, which played a big role in Momcilovic’s average of 16.9 points per game.

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Iowa State also benefited from some outstanding heaters from Momcilovic, including a 28-point barrage that saw him knock down eight triples in a nail-biting loss to Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. Landing Momcilovic will be a big help to Pope’s offense, which can thrive having a forward who can stretch the floor like Momcilovic does.

Why Milan Momcilovic alone won’t lift Kentucky into the preseason polls

We didn’t have Kentucky ranked inside the post-NBA Draft withdrawal deadline Top 25 for a reason. Pope simply lost too much talent in the offseason and has had a terrible time trying to replace it, losing out on top recruit Tyran Stokes to Kansas and having a series of embarassing whiffs earlier in portal season.

Kentucky looked bad when they tried hard to land Rob Wright, only to watch the star guard return to BYU, while also missing out on Donnie Freeman (who landed at St. John’s) among others. There is enough talent on the Wildcats’ roster to challenge for the top five of the SEC, especially with Malachi Moreno’s decision to return to school, but there isn’t enugh to warrant inclusion inside the Top 25.

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Some of Pope’s SEC competition looks incredibly loaded, such as new No. 1 Florida, which kept its entire front line and made strong portal adds. Tennessee also loaded up with an elite combination of scoring from the portal, including Wake Forest guard Juke…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kentuckys-last-minute-transfer-miracle-181015966.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-02 18:10:00

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