Major NCAA rule change may make Kentucky's Milan Momcilovic pickup an even bigger deal

Getting five-star transfer Milan Momcilovic was enough to get a lot of Kentucky fans to set their current worries about the men's basketball program aside in favor of what is shaping up to be a thrilling 2026-27 season. What's more, due to a recent NCAA rule change, that excitement could spill over into the following year.

With the NCAA now having officially voted to approve the age-based eligibility model (per On3), Milan Momcilovic will be eligible for a second season in Lexington if he so desires. The rule, explained by Pete Nakos:

"The age-based model calls for an athlete’s eligibility clock upon initial full-time enrollment in college or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs earlier."

Dubbed the "5-in-5" rule, Kentucky's projected star is in the last batch of guys who can take advantage of this system. Less fortunate is Otega Oweh, who was just on the outside of that group, but that's another topic for another day.

Hosting the best three-point shooter in college basketball for two straight seasons could outright change the Mark Pope era forever. I don't want to get too far ahead of reality, but what a win this would be for Kentucky.

A Massive Potential Win for Kentucky

Again, it was already a big deal to land Momcilovic at all in the first place. He marked Pope's biggest recruiting win to date (right before he went on to land his first five-star freshman in Ryan Hampton), and is set to plug in at the center of Kentucky's offensive operation. It's as big a deal as big deals get.

But with the newfound flexibility of his eligibility (say that five times fast), the Wildcats' undeniably expensive investment just got all the more valuable.

Of course, this will all come down to whether or not Momcilovic even wants to return to college hoops. Keep in mind, he's a guy who wanted to stay in the NBA Draft even this past offseason; his long-term goal remains firmly fixed on the league.

But if his stock continues to rise at Kentucky and he's given the opportunity to make more money and run it back? That could get appealing fast if this year goes well, even for a guy who was doing everything he could to get a good pick this year.

Once in a blue moon, Kentucky actually gets to benefit from a rule change on the highest level. Who knew? We may have to get used to Momcilovic in the blue and white; he could be around a lot longer than expected.

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