Why Arizona Wildcats Are Best Fit for Iowa State Basketball Star Milan Momcilovic

Are the Arizona Wildcats the best fit for Milan Momcilovic in the transfer portal?

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) reacts in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones recently saw their former star shooter, Milan Momcilovic, make his decision to come back to college. Now, where he will play is one of the top stories in the country. 

Following a great campaign with the Cyclones, Momcilovic's exploration of the possibility of going to the NBA made sense. However, with the scouts and evaluators seemingly believing that he won’t be drafted where he wants, the decision to come back to school was an easy one. 

As the top player in the portal now, Momcilovic is going to be set for a big payday wherever he goes. While a return to Iowa State is almost certainly not going to be in the cards, there are three top contenders for him. The Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, and Arizona Wildcats are all in the mix for Momcilovic. 

With a number of factors going into what is going to be a hard decision for Momcilovic, one of the three teams is arguably the top fit. 

Arizona Is Best Fit for Milan 

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While it does appear like Kentucky is the most likely landing spot for Momcilovic, Arizona is arguably the best fit for the star shooter. With Koa Peat electing to leave the program and stay in the NBA Draft, Momcilovic would be able to slide right into his spot. 

Furthermore, expectations for him at Kentucky would be through the roof, and he would be unlikely to live up to them. For a player who is seeking to develop and be in the NBA Draft next year, the immense pressure that could come with going to Kentucky could result in problems. 

Arizona is coming off a Final Four appearance and is regularly one of the best teams in the entire country. Momcilovic would be joining a great roster and wouldn’t be asked to be the savior of the program, but rather a piece of the puzzle. 

With Tommy Lloyd recently landing a big contract extension, there is more stability at the program as well compared to Kentucky. Mark Pope is seemingly on the hot seat already, and he has a ton of pressure on him to land Momcilovic. 

Overall, with the goal of improving as a player and finding a program that is the best fit for him, Arizona does present that. While he likely would receive more money from Kentucky, that doesn’t appear to be the most important thing for the star shooter.