Mark Pope's third-ever Kentucky team will have ample options on the offensive side of the ball. Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins both exceled in the backcourt prior to their teamup in the blue and white, and rotation guys like Justin McBride and Jerone Morton have years of consistent scoring under their collegiate belts.
But even still, none of these dudes will match Milan Momcilovic in that way, and this Kentucky team is built in a way that they won't have to. The 48% shooter from range (never gets old repeating that stat) has been plugged into the starting lineup as the go-to guy.
Momcilovic was brought to Lexington to score more than everyone else; what he does beyond that, for better or worse, should be handily covered by the rest of this solid roster. Big Blue Nation simply expects him to be a dominant scoring presence, and they aren't alone.
On Michael Cohen's list of the top 10 players returning to college basketball this coming season, Momcilovic makes Kentucky's lone appearance among a list of high-scoring giants. Considered alongside the likes of Elliot Cadeau (reigning national champion), John Blackwell, Alex Condon, and more, the expectation is clearly through the roof for Momcilovic's impact.
But I'm convinced he wouldn't have it any other way.
RETWEET if your team has a player on @Michael_Cohen13's Top 10 returning players list 👀 pic.twitter.com/RiAQMbVcVH
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) June 4, 2026
No Other Way For Momcilovic
After all, coming to Kentucky on what is assumed to be the biggest check in the locker room basically demands a transcendant level of play. Momcilovic's shooting expertise was advertised all offseason as a must-have trait for every team that pursued him.
Wherever he landed, he was going to be signing up for a high-volume role in what his shot could make or break a team's offensive flow. With Kentucky, he certainly gets that, only under the brightest lights in the college basketball world.
The BBN is all the way bought in for the five-star forward, assuming he continues his team-leading ways in Lexington. And, alongside Kentucky fans, Coach Pope will also rely on Momcilovic to basically revive the three-point-centric offense that he ran heavily prior to his hiring here.
It's a tall task, but just about everybody in and outside of Rupp Arena shares an apparent faith that Momcilovic can fit that bill. Even repeating his 17 points per game from last season would likely do given the team around him.
If Momcilovic succeeds that metric? We may be having much more important conversations than this one come March, both about Momcilovic himself, as well as the team of Wildcats around him. The ceiling is so, so high Cats fans, even if it's tied to Momcilovic's momentum.
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