It sure feels good to write this article. There have certainly been some trials and tribulations this offseason for the Kentucky Wildcats. Donnie Freeman and Rob Wright were high profile transfers that ultimately ended up elsewhere. Tyran Stokes was obviously an entire saga that did not end well for the ‘Cats. The pursuit of Stokes also cost Kentucky other Class of 2026 prospects along the way. Ultimately, Zyon Hawthorne and Mason Williams are the only incoming freshmen. Landing what amounts to a preferred walk-on who already has a brother on the team and the son of an assistant coach didn’t exactly calm any concerns about Coach Pope’s recruiting abilities. However, a lot of that can at least temporarily be put to bed with the addition of Milan Momcilovic.
The addition of Momcilovic is massive for Kentucky for a myriad of reasons. First and foremost, he is an outstanding basketball player. Momcilovic averaged a team-leading 16.9 points per game at Iowa State while shooting an incredible 136-279 (48.7%) from three-point range. The 6’8″ forward earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors as well. His impact on the rest of the roster is very important too. He is the perfect fit alongside more ball dominant playmakers in Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins. They each will benefit from playing with the best shooter in college basketball. Malachi Moreno and Kam Williams are also clear beneficiaries. Finally, Coach Pope and Big Blue Nation needed a big recruiting win. Milan Momcilovic single-handily solved a lot of problems for the Kentucky Wildcats…