Mark Pope talks about Kentucky’s massive addition in Milan Momcilovic

There was no bigger addition this offseason for Kentucky basketball than Milan Momcilovic. In many ways, it helped put Kentucky in contention for a deep tournament run. For one, the Wildcats badly needed a go-to scorer on its roster, specifically a star-caliber player, and they got it. Not only that, but Momcilovic is an excellent fit for Mark Pope as the most efficient shooter in college basketball.

Last season, Momcilovic made 136 threes on an extremely efficient 48.7 percent shooting clip. That broke program records at Iowa State and now, he’s got the chance to do it in Lexington. In a recent interview with the UK Sports Network, Momcilovic said that Pope told him he wants him to take about 10 threes per game and that if his efficiency gets better, that means he isn’t taking enough. With those high standards, Pope knows what Momcilovic is made of and he talked about the addition on the Inside College Basketball podcast.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) speaks during the postgame press conference after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What makes Momcilovic so special given what he can do in Mark Pope’s offense? “We value gravity. It makes our world go around on the offensive end and he’s got as much, or more, gravity than any player in college basketball. Everybody knows how well he shot it last year and how effective he is. He’s also got a real creator vibe, he can do some things off the bounce. He’s a great barkley guy, in terms of getting a catch on the perimeter and actually turning it into a post-possession, where he’s really skilled at finishing there.”

Advertisement

It isn’t just the offensive end where Momcilovic is making his presence felt. The 6-8 forward’s confident attitude lifts him on defense and Pope says he has made an impact there so far in practice….

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mark-pope-talks-kentuckys-massive-163001187.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-07-01 16:30:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.