Mark Pope can't let Louisville swoop in and take Milan Momcilovic

It hasn’t been a super fun night to be a Kentucky sports fan with the baseball team blowing a late lead over West Virginia, forcing a winner-take-all game tomorrow, and now Louisville is making a big run after Milan Momcilovic. It felt negative for the Wildcats that with all of the offers on the table, he still hadn’t committed to Kentucky, and now it sounds like Louisville and Pat Kelsey are making a run.

Some Kentucky fans felt that Louisville wasn’t going to be a real player here, knowing how much NIL money they had already spent. Well, it looks like Kelsey has dug deeper into his pockets and put up a really competitive offer for the sharpshooter Momcilovic.

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

For a while, it seemed like Arizona was the competitor that made the most sense knowing Koa Peat kept his name in the NBA Draft. It felt like the Wildcats of Arizona would just offer Momcilovic Peat’s package, but it now seems like a Kentucky vs. Louisville race with Arizona far behind.

Kentucky still has a good shot here, but Pope has to get this done. Countless times this offseason, it has seemed like Kentucky was going to land a portal player, and then they end up elsewhere. BBN has been very frustrated, but Momcilovic would calm this frustration from the fan base. This is why it is so important that he and the staff get the job done.

I don’t think this Kentucky team is going to be that good if they don’t land Momcilovic, and if this team doesn’t win a lot, Pope could be out in Lexington. This is why I am holding out hope that Louisville is making their push tonight, but Pope is going to rebuttal and get the job done.

There is a good chunk of the fan base that has lost faith in Pope, and if he misses on Momcilovic, I feel like that number is going to grow a lot more. Losing out on the best shooter in the portal, knowing how much NIL money the Wildcats had to offer, would be a terrible PR look for this staff. This is in no way, shape, or form over, but Pope needs to make a strong move.

It shouldn't be a hard sell, knowing the Wildcats have a ton of NIL money and Momcilovic would be a perfect system fit for the Pope offense. This is going to be a stressful couple of days for BBN until Momcilovic officially picks his new school.

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