Iowa State Cyclones Sharpshooter Catapulting up NBA Draft Big Board

An Iowa State Cyclones player is performing well, leading to a rise in the NBA draft big board.

Feb 18, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger talks to Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Coming into the 2025-2026 men’s college basketball season, the Iowa State Cyclones knew that they needed players to step up after so many key contributors from last year’s team not returning.

The team’s two leading scorers from last season, Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, were not back. That put some pressure on returning stars such as Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic to step up their game.

Thus far this season, they have accomplished that. All three are playing at an All-Big 12 level, excelling as one of the most productive trios in the country.

Iowa State has lofty goals this season, moving to 12-0 after defeating the Long Beach State Beach. Their championship aspirations are legitimate because of that Big 3. It will be interesting to see the heights they help the Cyclones reach, improving their future outlooks in the process.

Where is Milan Momcilovic ranked in NBA draft big board?

Dec 11, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) shoots over Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Coming into the season, Momcilovic was barely a top 100 player for the 2026 NBA Draft class. He was ranked No. 92, seven spots behind Jefferson, who has also shot up.

A true junior, he will have one year of eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 campaign if he wants to return to school. However, he is playing so well that he could strongly consider declaring for the draft.

Jeremy Woo of ESPN updated his player rankings, and Momcilovic is skyrocketing up. He is now ranked No. 66, pushing him toward legitimate consideration as a second-round pick.

What has led to such an improvement in his standing is his scorching hot 3-point shooting. Through 11 games, entering play on Sunday against Long Beach State, the star forward is making 52.6% of his attempts from long range. That leads the Big 12, as does his 70.8% effective field goal rate.

Milan Momcilovic having career season

Dec 6, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger challenged Momcilovic to increase his 3-point volume, helping offset the loss of Jones, the team’s most prolific shooter last season. He has responded, making 3.7 of his 7.1 attempts per game.

That has resulted in him scoring 17.5 points per game, which would be a career high. He is also grabbing 3.2 rebounds to go along with 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 27.5 minutes per game.

His 3-point prowess is what will get him the most looks during the pre-draft process. Teams can never have enough shooting, and he is doing it at an elite level currently. What will help him continue moving up the rankings is if he can continue playing well in other facets of the game.

Continuing to improve defensively will certainly help. Listed at 6-foot-8, he has the size to defend multiple positions. He will certainly have ample opportunities to show that he can hold up on that end in some very challenging Big 12 matchups on the horizon.