There was no bigger addition this offseason for Kentucky basketball than Milan Momcilovic. In many ways, it helped put Kentucky in contention for a deep tournament run. For one, the Wildcats badly needed a go-to scorer on its roster, specifically a star-caliber player, and they got it. Not only that, but Momcilovic is an excellent fit for Mark Pope as the most efficient shooter in college basketball.
Last season, Momcilovic made 136 threes on an extremely efficient 48.7 percent shooting clip. That broke program records at Iowa State and now, he’s got the chance to do it in Lexington. In a recent interview with the UK Sports Network, Momcilovic said that Pope told him he wants him to take about 10 threes per game and that if his efficiency gets better, that means he isn’t taking enough. With those high standards, Pope knows what Momcilovic is made of and he talked about the addition on the Inside College Basketball podcast.
Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) speaks during the postgame press conference after the game 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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
What makes Momcilovic so special given what he can do in Mark Pope’s offense? “We value gravity. It makes our world go around on the offensive end and he’s got as much, or more, gravity than any player in college basketball. Everybody knows how well he shot it last year and how effective he is. He’s also got a real creator vibe, he can do some things off the bounce. He’s a great barkley guy, in terms of getting a catch on the perimeter and actually turning it into a post-possession, where he’s really skilled at finishing there.”
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It isn’t just the offensive end where Momcilovic is making his presence felt. The 6-8 forward’s confident attitude lifts him on defense and Pope says he has made an impact there so far in practice. “On the defensive end, courtesy of TJ (Otzelberger) and the great work that Iowa State does in developing defensive players, he’s shown some real acumen on the defensive end in the first couple weeks here in live play. But the thing I like most about Milan is, he’s got this inherent confidence to him.”
Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) reacts after a three-point shot against Baylor during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Feb. 7, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
This is going to be repeatedly brought up to and throughout the season, but Momcilovic really does have a chance to break records with his shooting numbers. Last season at Iowa State, he attempted 7.5 threes per game. If he does shoot more like Pope wants him to, there’s a legit chance that he can not only easily break Kentucky’s single-season threes record, but get close, or even break, a record set by Steph Curry.
We could be in for a treat in Lexington watching Momcilovic ball out.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kentucky as Mark Pope talks about Kentucky’s massive addition in Milan Momcilovic.
