Mark Pope and Kentucky need to hope these two players pull out of the NBA Draft

These players pulling out of the NBA Draft would give Kentucky a path to a good frontcourt.

Mar 11, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his team against the Louisiana State Tigers during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

As the Donnie Freeman saga is officially over with him picking to play for Rick Pitino at Saint John’s next year rather than Kentucky, Mark Pope has to make a pivot. There are some power forwards and centers that Kentucky has been in contact with, like Justin McBride from James Madison and Devin Williams from Florida Atlantic, but these two aren’t the elite additions the Wildcats are looking for.

Both of these players are solid and would be great depth pieces for Pope and the Wildcats, but he needs a star forward to play alongside Malachi Moreno in the frontcourt. There are two players that Pope could look at in the portal, but they would need to pull out of the NBA Draft. Those two players are Allen Graves and Milan Momcilovic.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos forward Allen Graves (22) reacts after making a basket against Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Ironically, both of these players were opponents of the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament this year, as Graves played for Santa Clara and Momcilovic played for Iowa State. Both of these guys very well could end up staying in the NBA Draft, but if they don’t, they are both in the portal and could be targets for Kentucky.

Waiting on these guys would be a massive risk for Coach Pope because if he goes all in on one or both of these guys and they both stay in the draft, the three and four positions for Kentucky will be rough. Graves is a frontcourt member who can play the four and five.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) shoots as Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) defends during the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Momcilovic is a guy that I see more as a three, and he will be a really good option for Pope if the Wildcats don’t end up landing Tyran Stokes. Both Graves and Momcilovic are elite players who would make Kentucky really good, but for this to work out, Coach Pope would have to get really lucky.

It is still to be seen if these two will pull out of the draft, and even if they do pull out of the draft, Pope would have to recruit and land them, which has been a struggle this portal cycle. Kentucky desperately needs to find a star player, and both Graves and Momcilovic could be that guy for Pope.

Big Blue Nation is desperate for Kentucky to make a big splash, and landing one of these two would be that splash. While it would take a lot of luck, these two names are worth paying attention to over the next few weeks as Pope looks to put together his roster.