Mark Pope could have a good problem on his hands constructing the starting lineup

Kentucky basketball picked up an absolutely huge addition on Monday night when Milan Momcilovic picked the Wildcats over Louisville and Arizona, someone who not only was one of the more sought-after players in the portal, but is an excellent fit for how Mark Pope wants to play. Now, thanks to that big get, Pope has a really good problem on his hands. How exactly will he construct the starting lineup?

Before adding Momcilovic, it was clear what Kentucky's starting lineup was likely to be, with Kam Williams at the wing and Ousmane N'Diaye at the wing and of course Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins and Malachi Moreno at their spots. But now with Momcilovic, there are two different ways Mark Pope could go with the starting lineup. Will he keep the 6-8 forward at the four spot, which he played last season, and utilize his impressive shooting ability to stretch the floor, while playing next to Kam Williams? Or, does he slide over to the wing as Ousmane N'Diaye earns a starting spot as a promising overseas get? That's the big question, so let's make the case for each scenario.

Momcilovic starts at power forward

This is personally my favorite lineup. Combining Momcilovic's shooting ability as the nation's best shooter from last season with Kam Williams' sharpshooting ability and the leap he is expected to make in a bigger role, it would create the perfect lineup for Pope who is trying to get back to putting up 30-plius threes per game, a goal that was set in both his first two years in Lexington. Both shooting and spacing are lethal for his offense to succeed, and Momcilovic and Williams are two shooters the defense has to contain. Not to mention Alex Wilkins' shot-creating ability and Zoom Diallo's playmaking that will add dimensions to the offense.

Momcilovic starts at the wing

With this scenario, that would mean Kam Williams comes off the bench as Ousmane N'Diaye starts at the four. As of right now, this looks like the most likely scenario just by how the roster has turned out. Kentucky brought in N'Diaye as a guy to add versatility and size in the frontcourt. With some of the most successful teams from this past season having tall lineups, it's no secret that Mark Pope was wanting to do that by bringing a guy like N'Diaye on. Many people connected with international ball are high on his potential, so it would make sense for him to get the starting nod at the four. His versatility could be dangerous and with Momcilovic next to him, it could pay off really well.

Both of those lineup combinations are good all in all and Momcilovic is the reason why Mark Pope has a few routes to go with who he starts. It's certainly going to be interesting, but it's a good question to bring up and one Kentucky fans should be happy to be thinking about. The Wildcats now have the fit and talent at each position to be capable of making a deep tournament run. Since the big addition, Kentucky has been a big talking point and a team that is now a consensus preseason top 25 squad after taking a massive leap in many rankings.

Mark Pope has a whole summer and fall to figure out how he wants to construct the starting lineup. He may already know, but there is definitely a good case to make with however you want to spin it.

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