Kentucky fans will be surprised by Milan Momcilovic's defensive ratings

Is Milan Momcilovic a better defender than most fans believe?

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward J.P. Estrella (13) looks to pass while defended by Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Big Blue Nation is very excited about the addition of Milan Momcilovic to the 2026-27 Kentucky roster. Fans now believe this team is going to be special as Mark Pope has added the best transfer portal player, which has the Wildcats looking like a top 15 team in the nation, with the upside being much higher than this.

Obviously, Momcilovic is known as an offensive player, as he was the best shooter in the nation last season. Momcilovic averaged 16.9 points last season while shooting 48.7% from three on 7.5 attempts per game. This is what the 6’8 sharpshooter is known for, but is he a better defender than fans are giving him credit for?

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) drives the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Jaylen Carey (23) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

When it comes to the Evan Miya analytic numbers, Momcilovic’s offensive rating is a 6.06, which is elite, but his defensive rating is a 2.45. That really is pretty good for the veteran. That ranked Momcilovic as Iowa State’s fifth-best defender on one of the best defensive teams in the nation.

The Cyclones were ranked as the fifth-best defense last season in KenPom, so it is clear that he has been around good defensive play. When it comes to Momcilovic’s defensive rating compared to Kentucky’s roster last season, he analytically would have been the Wildcats ' fourth-best defender. His 2.45 rating would have had Momcilovic ahead of Kam Williams, who had a rating of 2.38.

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. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

I am not trying to sit here and convince anyone that Momcilovic is a lockdown defender, but I am trying to convince folks that he might not be as bad a defender as fans think right now. Worst case scenario, Coach Pope can watch the film from Iowa State last season and find a way to hide him on defense.

Knowing that Momcilovic will be the best offensive player in the nation next season, he should spend all offseason working on defense to see if this can improve between now and the start of the season. Defense as a whole will be important for the Wildcats, knowing how elite the offense will be. With how good the scoring will be for this team if they can defend at all, the Wildcats will be hard to beat.

Despite what most of Big Blue Nation believes, these numbers show that perhaps Momcilovic won’t be as much of an issue on defense as fans believe.

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