Iowa State Unlikely To Retain Milan Momcilovic for One Reason

It went down to the wire, but after a few weeks of preparing himself for the 2026 NBA Draft, Iowa State Cyclones star Milan Momcilovic decided to withdraw his name from the player pool and return to college basketball for his senior year.

This was news that excited Cyclones fans because it meant they could bring back their leading scorer from the 2025-26 campaign. With Jackson Kiss, a four-star player in the Class of 2026, decommitting from the school and flipping to the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, a spot on the roster was opened up.

Alas, bringing back a player such as Momcilovic takes a lot more than just an open roster spot. Running it back for one more year in Ames would be awesome, but it doesn’t look to be in the cards.

As shared by Cyclone Fanatic on X, a return to Iowa State is theoretically possible because they now have a roster spot open. However, a reunion between Momcilovic and the Cyclones isn’t likely because of the timeline of his decision.

Milan Momcilovic return to Iowa State is unlikely

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic celebrates after a play during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats. — Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

It is the same sentiment that was shared when Momcilovic entered the transfer portal on top of declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft. May 27 was the deadline for him to make his final decision, and unfortunately, head coach T.J. Otzelberger couldn’t operate within that timeline.

Waiting nearly two months after the transfer portal opened to make moves with the roster was not a feasible strategy. With Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Nate Heise already gone from the roster due to graduating, there were major voids to fill.

Creating a fourth one with Momcilovic’s departure might seem counterproductive, but it was a necessary move to make. Had Iowa State waited for him to make his decision, there is a good chance they would not have added the players that they did in the portal.

Otzelberger landed commitments from five players, all of whom he is planning to use as part of his rotation next season: Jaquan Johnson, Ryan Prather Jr., Leon Bond III, Tre Singleton and Taj Manning.

BREAKING: Milan Momcilovic will be withdrawing his name from the 2026 NBA Draft and returning for college for his senior year, per Jeff Borzello.

Per multiple outlets, Momcilovic's camp has had Zoom calls with Kentucky, Louisville and St. John's. However, other schools could… pic.twitter.com/2TuSB5iNDd
— Cyclone Fanatic (@cyclonefanatic) May 28, 2026

Along with three players in the Class of 2026, Yusef Gray Jr., Christian Wiggins and Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan, and the return of Killyan Toure, Jamarion Batemon, Xzavion Mitchell, Blake Buchanan and Dominykas Pleta, there is some serious depth on the Cyclones’ roster.

That almost certainly wouldn’t have occurred had they waited for Momcilovic to decide on the draft.

Losing the best 3-point shooter in men’s college basketball certainly is a blow to the team. But Iowa State certainly isn’t lacking for talent, thanks to the work Otzelberger did early in the transfer portal.

Iowa State fans are now just hoping they don’t have to go up against their former star on the court next season.

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