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The Iowa State Cyclones have officially lost Milan Momcilovic. Days after withdrawing his name from the 2026 NBA Draft, he announced that he will be transferring to the Kentucky Wildcats for his senior year.
It is a tough blow for the Cyclones. Head coach T.J. Otzelberger knew he would be losing Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Nate Heise due to exhausting eligibility. But Momcilovic had a year left, and spending it in Ames would have certainly been nice.
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Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. The timeline was difficult to navigate, as Otzelberger couldn’t wait until May 27 to fill out his roster. As a result, Momcilovic entered the portal and landed with Kentucky.
It is certainly disappointing to lose a player of that caliber. However, Iowa State can survive that loss, and here are three reasons why.
Jamarion Batemon Development
Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon (1) shoots a three point shot against the Tennessee State Tigers during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
This is one of the most important aspects of the Cyclones being able to replace what Momcilovic brought to the court. He was a historic 3-point shooter, breaking the program record for made 3-pointers with 136. That was the most in the country, and he led the nation, making 48.7% of his attempts.
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Expecting a single player to replicate that success from long range is impossible. But Jamarion Batemon is a player who can fill that role. He improved throughout his freshman year and is someone that Otzelberger trusts on the court.
He connected on 37% of his 3-point attempts this past season; that is better than what Momcilovic did during his first campaign in Ames, when he made 35.9% of his 3-point attempts. The skill is certainly there for Batemon to push that number close to 40% as a sophomore.
Improved Depth
Feb 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward Taj Manning…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/3-reasons-iowa-state-basketball-180004636.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-02 18:00:00
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