Much has been made of Mark Pope's struggles to land a big fish during his time at Kentucky. This offseason especially, with the Tyran Stokes and Donnie Freeman dramas coinciding, that complaint has grown especially loud and consistent among supporters and critics alike.
At the same time, one outstanding option has remaining in contention for Kentucky that, in the eyes of many, could basically scrub those struggles if he were to commit to the blue and white. That option is, of course, star scoring forward Milan Momcilovic.
But the Cats' pursuit of Momcilovic has been relatively underground as, along with the rest of his pursuers, Kentucky had to wait on him to make his NBA Draft decision. Well, the wait is over... and the race is officially on.
Per Jon Rothstein on X, Momcilovic will officially withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and enter the transfer portal. Let the games begin; the NIL chips will fall where they may.
The Race For Momcilovic Has Begun
With a rumored check that has seemed to climb unstoppably in the millions and a host of suitors scratching and clawing to get ahead in this recruitment, Momcilovic officially walking through the door to a collegiate return means the floodgates are open, and then some.
Source: Milan Momcilovic is withdrawing from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to school next season.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 28, 2026
Not only is Kentucky heavily involved, but Louisville (that's greed, if you ask me), St. John's, and Arizona are set to make a push for the three-point specialist, according to Jeff Goodman. With Arizona's Koa Peat remaining in the draft, it'd be no surprise to see those Wildcats make an especially aggressive push.
But the blue and white should be right there with them, and we have every reason to expect them to be. Kentucky has money left to spend and a spot in the starting lineup that appears almost purposefully carved out for Momcilovic.
An Extremely Sensible Fit
Add in Coach Pope's own preference for three-point shooting in his offensive system, and you've got a fit so extremely sensible it almost doesn't seem real. That may be because Kentucky has consistently struggled to land the big names in situations like these, but I'll leave that point alone for the sake of positivity.
Now, while we've entered a second sort of waiting game as Momcilovic faces a commitment decision, this one should go a lot faster than the first. With summer progressing fast and teams beginning to take shape, it shouldn't be long at all before the 17-points per game, 48% from range shooter makes his call.
The Cats should be knocking on his door as we speak. We'll keep a close eye on how this unfolds within the coming days with every single one of our fingers crossed.
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