Collin Chandler had a ton of memorable moments for the Wildcats, especially this past season. His game-winning three-pointer against Tennessee at Rupp Arena, which followed up his game-winning assist to Otega Oweh in the game in Knoxville just three weeks prior, blew the roof off Rupp Arena.
But for as great a shooter as Chandler was last year, he came with a limiting ceiling. If Chandler wasn't knocking down threes at will - not an uncommon occurence - his additional mileage varied. That indicated the need for an upgrade, to me, and Kentucky got one in Milan Momcilovic.
When I see Milan Momcilovic, I see a slightly better version of Koby Brea. Stay with me, BBN.
Brea was excellent for Kentucky in the 2024-25 run with the Wildcats, knocking down 43% of his shots from outside while impacting the game in other, more physical facets too. But Brea hadn't played at the Power 5 level before coming to Kentucky. Momcilovic has, and he's been killing it already.
Crucial Conference Experience
Last year, on a Cyclones team that finished fifth in the Big 12 and was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Momcilovic had 23 games with at least three makes from deep. Four times, he made eight three-pointers in a single game. Eight. Four times.
Momcilovic finished the season with 16.9 points per game and shot 50.6% percent from the field, including a 48.7% clip three-point range. That's downright majestic.
Three-point shooting is the great equalizer in college basketball and, to me, it's becoming the great game-changer. The Wildcats have that game-changer in Momcilovic. On only five occasions last year did Momcilovic not make multiple three-pointers in a game. He's a player that can go on a momentum-changing run all by himself.
At 6-foot-8, Momcilovic is an impactful floor-stretcher, too. There will be a greater margin for error in a system that, at its best and worst, relies on the three-ball, evidenced by Mark Pope's desire to get 30+ attempts from range up per game. Momcilovic will undoubtedly help with goal, and he should make playmakers around him better in the process.
Kentucky's Long-Ball Ace
Last year, even with Chandler, Kentucky didn't have a proven player when it came to three-point shooting in that game-changing way - at least not consistently. Pope had players with potential from beyond the perimeter, streaky shooters who could get hot, but this year is different. Kentucky has their long-ball ace in Milan Momcilovic.
And, as a direct result, this is a better roster than what Kentucky had last season. Momcilovic is a player who raises the ceiling for Pope's third-year team; he's the centerpiece of a roster that was previously built around the hope that someone of his caliber would tie things off.
Now, the BBN will get their arguable first full look at what Mark Pope's offensive aspirations are truly made of. I, for one, can't wait to see what these Cats do.
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