College Stars Milan Momcilovic, Tyler Tanner Make Final NBA Draft Decisions

Should they stay or should they go?

Milan Momcilovic led the nation in three-point shooting with Iowa State in 2026. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

For two of men’s college basketball’s biggest stars this past season, the grass is not greener in the professional ranks just yet.

Ex-Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic and Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner will return and play college basketball in 2027, both players told ESPN’s Pete Thamel Wednesday evening. The moves will keep two talents who could’ve easily been chosen in June’s NBA draft in school for another year.

With a number of NBA draft decisions being made in recent days, here’s a look at how Momcilovic and Tanner—both of whom steered their respective teams to the Sweet 16 in program-highlight seasons—figure into the broader college basketball picture in `27.

Momcilovic, a lights-out shooter for Iowa State a year ago, has another decision to make

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic celebrates after a play against the Kentucky Wildcats. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

The forward from Pewaukee, Wisc., is also in the transfer portal after three years with the Cyclones.

A double-digit point-per-game scorer for Iowa State in 2024, Momcilovic gradually sharpened his three-point shooting and became the nation’s best by percentage in 2026; his 48.7% clip was the highest for any major-conference player since Marquette guard Markus Howard shot 54.7% from three in 2017.

He made five or more three-pointers in a game last year on 11 separate occasions, draining eight against Alcorn State (Dec. 3), Arizona (March 13), Cincinnati (Jan. 17), and West Virginia (Jan. 2). He also topped 25 points seven times, peaking with 34 against the Bearcats. Any team in need of shooting with dollars to spare will covet Momcilovic.

Tanner returns to a Vanderbilt program on an upward trajectory

Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner brings the ball up the court during the SEC tournament championship game against Arkansas. | ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Commodores’ recent hires in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball—Clark Lea (Dec. 2020), Mark Byington (March 2024), and Shea Ralph (April 2021)—are the envies of college sports. Each one has been dealt a strong hand for the next academic year, but Byington’s may top them all—and Tanner is the key.

Tanner’s two-way play in `26 was superb, with the guard finishing second in the SEC in offensive win shares and seventh in defensive win shares. Single-game highlights included a 37-point explosion against Oklahoma on Feb. 7 and a 34-point outing at Ole Miss on March 3 (he posted five steals in both games). Taking its cues from the sophomore, Vanderbilt improved from 20-13 to 27-9 and claimed its highest NCAA tournament seed since 2012.

This offseason, the Commodores reloaded with aplomb, luring a quartet of four-star transfers in guard T.O. Barrett (Missouri), forward Berke Buyuktuncel (Nebraska), guard Ace Glass (Washington State), and forward Sebastian Williams-Adams (Auburn). Vanderbilt falling out of SEC contention in `27 would be a shock.

Where might Momcilovic and Tanner have been drafted?

In his first post-lottery mock draft, Kevin Sweeney of SI predicted that the Pistons would take Tanner No. 21, writing that he “makes up for likely being the shortest player in draft consideration with his elite basketball IQ.” Momcilovic, on the other hand, did not make Sweeney’s board, but had generally been mocked in the second round.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the `27 season will be Momcilovic’s fourth year of eligbility and Tanner’s third.

---