Iowa State Basketball Star Milan Momcilovic Will Elevate Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats got a lot better following the addition of Iowa State Cyclones star Milan Momcilovic

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

The Iowa State Cyclones officially got word late on Monday night that their star shooter from last season was going to be playing elsewhere. 

Following what felt like a long couple of days, Milan Momcilovic made his decision on where he is going to be playing next year. The star shooter chose to go to the Kentucky Wildcats, who seemed to be the favorite for most of the way. 

Coming off a great year with the Cyclones, it was understandable to see Momcilovic declare for the NBA Draft, while also entering the transfer portal. Even though he elected to bypass the draft this year, he is still a great player, and when he withdrew, he instantly became the best player in the portal. 

With it being a little late in the process, there were four teams seemingly vying for him. The St. John’s Red Storm, Kentucky, Arizona Wildcats, and Louisville Cardinals were all in the mix. However, it was Kentucky who ended up landing him. 

Momcilovic Will Elevate Kentucky 

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

While it always felt like Kentucky was the leader for Momcilovic, the process did take some time, and there was immense pressure on Mark Pope to land the star shooter. Since taking over for John Calipari, the results haven’t been great for Pope at Kentucky, and there would have been some serious issues if he had missed on Momcilovic. 

Now, Kentucky has got their guy and will be looking to have a great season. They are getting arguably the best shooter in the country from last season, and that is going to help them immensely. Momcilovic shot it from deep at a ridiculous 48.7% clip last year, emerging as one of the best shooters in the game. 

While he does have other areas to work on, he can be a game-changer with his ability to shoot. Now, Kentucky is a team that should be comfortably in the Top 25 to begin the season and has a roster that should have at least Sweet 16 expectations. 

For Iowa State, seeing Momcilovic leave officially after three years with the program is a tough blow. However, T.J. Otzelberger was very prepared for this to happen, and it was something that they knew really early and were able to make the necessary moves. 

Even without Momcilovic next year, the Cyclones have the potential to be a great team. Following a matchup against Kentucky in the NCAA tournament, the two sides could very well meet again, with both expected to be good.