Mark Pope says Milan Momcilovic has been showing why he's made to take big shots

Out of all the players Mark Pope brought in for next season, there is none as valuable and as much of a perfect fit for him than Milan Momcilovic. Back in late May, it was a stressful few weeks for Kentucky fans as they waited for an announcement from the 6-8 sharpshooter, but once Pope and his staff landed him, he instantly made himself a difference-maker for the Wildcats.

Last season, Momcilovic put up some absolutely historic numbers with the Iowa State Cyclones. Not only did he lead the country in three-point percentage, shooting it at a 48.7% clip, but he broke a program record after making 136 threes on 7.5 attempts from deep per game. Those are absolutely crazy numbers and is exactly why Pope went after him so hard. Kentucky just wrapped up summer practices and after eight weeks of competition, Momcilovic is making a huge impression.

Coming in as the nation's best shooter, Mark Pope wanted to use this summer to really challenge him. First off, one of Pope's goals was to get Momcilovic's percentages to drop. Why? He wants him to break that single-season record, held by Jodie Meeks, who made 117 in one season at Kentucky. This summer, Pope has put Momcilovic through some tough drills and situations. It's been hard for Pope to find ways to do that. He talked about it in a recent interview with The Field of 68.

"He is so great, and he’s got a little cutting edge to him, too -- a little fearless cutting edge to him. I tried so hard to get him off the shooting leaderboard all summer long, talking smack, putting him in weird situations, making him shoot shots that nobody else was shooting."

For most players, taking big shots are extremely uncomfortable, as the pressure weighs on you heavily in the matter of seconds. As for Momcilovic, Pope senses some real calmness in him during those tough situations.

“He’s got a calmness about the way he approaches competition,” Pope said. “I think competition brings anxiety to all of us -- of course, it brings him anxiety also. But you know, the thing that makes most players the most anxious is shooting the ball in big moments in big games. And Milan, he’s got a little bit of a Koby Brea vibe to him. When I watch him play, the time where it seems like he’s freest and most comfortable in the world is when he’s taking a shot, and even more so when he’s taking a big shot. It’s just his peaceful place."

That type of mindset is going to pay off big for Kentucky and is yet another reason he's going to be such an important piece to the offense. Momcilovic is going to have one heck of a green light under Mark Pope.

Add us as a preferred source on Google