Where does Kentucky stand with Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic?

Two other schools are starting to trend as the favorites for Momcilovic if he returns to college.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Kentucky is clearly making Milan Momcilovic their top priority as they look to fill out the final pieces of the roster. But, it's going to be easier said than done with Momcilovic having his name in the NBA Draft. It's a big week for him as he continues to go through the draft process with a number of workouts and through the next few weeks, he'll get a better idea of where his head is at.

The Wildcats are in the mix, along with Louisville and St. John's, but reports are surfacing that they are not the leader in the clubhouse. 247 Sports' Kyle Tucker believes that Louisville is a 'serious threat' for Momcilovic, saying Louisville continues to come up in conversations as a school to watch. Not only that, but The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman even mentioned the Cardinals and Johnnies as the current frontrunners.

Mar 26, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) speaks ahead of the Midwest regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

It may not be surprising though when you hear what Momcilovic had to say when asked about his stay or go decision earlier this week and what he would be looking for in a school in an interview with CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter. "If I return to college, just a fit that I can play well in and hopefully help my chances to go to the NBA the year after that. Hopefully I’m on a good team that can go far in the tournament."

Kentucky could turn into a top 15 team if they add Momcilovic, but with the fact that Louisville, who is already seen as having a top 10 roster, would become a legit title contender, the buzz with the Cardinals is not really surprising. This past season, the 6-8 forward averaged 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, shooting 50.6 percent overall and 48.7 percent from three.

Feb 28, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) watches the time tick down in their loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Momcilovic also dove into what will factor into whether he stays in the draft or returns to college. "I just think high interest, maybe some promises, but I don’t think teams promise that early by the deadline," he told Trotter. "If there are guaranteed contracts, that would be good. If it’s later in the second round, those are usually two-way contracts, then I’d probably go back. We’ll see."

With Mark Pope in Chicago supporting Malachi Moreno, Otega Oweh and Jayden Quaintance through the draft process, you've gotta think that he is continuing to make pitches to Momcilovic's agent and his inner circle even if the Wildcats aren't currently seen as a top contender.

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