One Team Separating Itself in the Milan Momcilovic Sweepstakes

After three years with the Iowa State Cyclones, star forward Milan Momcilovic is going to be taking his talents elsewhere for the 2026-27 season.

All of his focus the last few weeks had been on the 2026 NBA Draft. But, with the deadline to maintain college eligibility being May 27, Momcilovic decided to withdraw and return to school for his senior year.

Where is he going to end up playing? Cyclones fans will be disappointed that Ames will not be where he plays his fourth year of college basketball, as a return to Iowa State is officially off the board.

Three teams, the Kentucky Wildcats, Arizona Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals, are under consideration by Momcilovic. There are no other teams in the mix, as he will be choosing from those three.

Kentucky Wildcats emerging as Milan Momcilovic favorites

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones. — Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

However, one of those three schools has emerged as a favorite for the sharpshooting forward. According to Joe Tipton and Pete Nakos of On3 (subscription required), Kentucky is making a strong move for the No. 1-ranked player in the transfer portal.

“Sources tell Pete Nakos and me that Kentucky has emerged as the current leader for Momcilovic. Mark Pope is going all out to land him, making him a top priority both on the court and financially. While the momentum is currently trending in the Wildcats’ direction, I’m still not ready to rule out Louisville in this recruitment,” wrote Tipton.

Mark Pope and the Wildcats are under the most pressure to land Momcilovic. They had some swings and misses early in the transfer portal, but adding him would erase a lot of those shortcomings.

It wasn’t too long ago that the St. John’s Red Storm were also in the mix and viewed as a favorite for Momcilovic. However, they pulled out of the race after securing a commitment from Tounde Yessoufou, formerly of the Baylor Bears, who withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft like the former Cyclones star.

A leader has emerged for Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, the top available player in the portal

View: https://t.co/fKQcAy7vAf pic.twitter.com/NZoeXnP9Yi
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) May 28, 2026

Tipton mentioned that the Texas Tech Red Raiders were also recently mentioned, but they are facing an uphill battle. It would be shocking if they overcame Kentucky, Arizona and Louisville at this point.

It is interesting to see Louisville not being counted out, given the current state of its roster. They were aggressive in the transfer portal early and seemingly don’t have a spot in the lineup open for a player of Momcilovic’s caliber to sell him on.

That isn’t the case with Arizona, which Tipton also believes to be a long shot. However, his fit is a lot easier to see as a replacement for Koa Peat, who remained in the 2026 NBA Draft. Going to a Big 12 rival would add more salt to the wound for Iowa State fans already stung by his departure.

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