Milan Momcilovic was the five-star antidote that the Big Blue Nation had been vying for all offseason. This past week was a true test of the resolve of Cats fans waiting on good news but, after nearly all of Kentucky's primary recruits had gone the other direction, arguably the biggest name came home.
In a late night announcement that nearly broke the internet, Momcilovic committed to Kentucky on the backend of a weekend that saw fans from both Kentucky and Louisville's camps claiming victory before it happened. Naturally, the vitriol was boiling over.
But in a much-needed win for Mark Pope, the Wildcats win this round in a big way. As Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals pivot elsewhere, Kentucky looks to plug Momcilovic into the starting lineup in an move that should finalize that rotation.
And there are a few technical options here, but I'm going to vouch for one in particular.
Kentucky's New Set of Starters
PG: Zoom Diallo SG: Alex Wilkins SF: Milan Momcilovic PF: Ousmane N'Diaye C: Malachi Moreno
Momcilovic, who is ranked as the No. 1 transfer in the nation by ESPN, can play both the three and the four. In my opinion, I believe he's better suited at the three; that position allows him to stay out of the paint on both ends of the floor, for the most part, and should lend itself to his spacing ability.
Naturally heading up the lineup is the backcourt duo of Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins. Both of whom can get their own shots but, perhaps more importantly, share an assist rate north of 30%. These two have more tools than ever to facilitate one of the best offenses in the SEC.
On the opposite side of Momcilovic, Ousmane N'Diaye and Malachi Moreno round off a linuep that finally seems fully realized. Moreno brings a steelier promise of improvement and consistency, entering an offseason that should allow him to come into his own as a powerhouse big with all of the tools to make it to the NBA.
N'Diaye may be more of a wild card, but his upside promises a potentially lethal pairing with Momcilovic in the middle of this lineup. If the international big can translate his professional experience and ability to stretch the floor to the SEC, he could be Kentucky's secret weapon.
Put simply, this starting five just went from good to great. From competitive to dangerous.
From Good to Great
Whether Kentucky has a chance to go all the way will depend on how exactly this team meshes come fall and, of course, whether or not they can stay healthy.
But it's undeniable that Momcilovic's addition is a massive ceiling-raiser, and it truly could go down as Pope's most important move yet in Lexington. The dude is that good, and Kentucky just got that much better.
No. 22 jersey orders are about to skyrocket in the bluegrass.
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