How important will landing Milan Momcilovic be to Mark Pope Kentucky tenure?

Mark Pope is currently in the process of trying to land Milan Momcilovic, who just pulled his name out of the NBA Draft. The Iowa State transfer averaged 16.9 points per game while shooting 48.5% from three on 7.5 attempts per game. Momcilovic is the best offensive player in college basketball, and he would be a great fit in the Pope system.

The question that a lot of Kentucky fans have been posing is how important it is for Pope's tenure for him to land Momcilovic. Personally, I don’t think the team Kentucky has right now without Momcilovic is good enough to make a ton of noise this season. Knowing how much Coach Pope’s team regressed in year two compared to year one, he has to have a good season.

I am not willing to say that landing Momcilovic will be the difference in Pope being the Kentucky coach or not during the 2027-28 season, but I don’t think it's too crazy a statement. The roster right now, without Momcilovic, has a ton of upside and potential, but it is missing a star player. It is clear that to be a good team in college hoops nowadays, a team needs a star player, and Momcilovic could be that guy.

Momcilovic could be massive for the floor of this team. Kentucky having some players exceed expectations is what will make or break the upside of this team hitting. But a player like Momcilovic guarantees the Wildcats are at least a top 25 team.

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. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

BBN has been frustrated with some of the misses from the staff this offseason, so if Pope were to miss on Momcilovic, it would be a real bad look. On the flip side, if Coach Pope is able to land Momcilovic, it would potentially calm down the fan base, as he would be proving that he can land elite players.

Right now, the Wildcats are in the lead for Momcilovic, but some other schools like Arizona and Louisville are going to make a serious move. With the money Kentucky has for Momcilovic, plus his fit in Pope’s system, this shouldn’t be a hard sell. Coach Pope needs to get it done, and the sooner the better for the Wildcats. If Kentucky can’t land Momcilovic, it could be a rough season for the Wildcats unless someone breaks out to be a superstar.

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