Another honor has landed on Milan Momcilovic’s doorstep, and this one comes with national player-of-the-year weight behind it.
On the eve of Kentucky’s season opener against Manhattan, the senior sharpshooter was named to the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy, which goes annually to the top player in college basketball. Momcilovic is one of 50 players on the list, including 15 from the SEC.
The Iowa State transfer has wasted no time backing up the buzz. In Kentucky’s three exhibitions, he led the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game while knocking down 9 of 20 shots from beyond the arc and 15 of 31 from the field overall. He added 5.7 rebounds per game and didn’t miss from the line, finishing a perfect 11 for 11 on free throws.
Momcilovic’s reputation was already established before he arrived in Lexington. Last season, he led the country in both total 3-pointers made, with 136, and 3-point field goal percentage, at 48.7%. Over three seasons at Iowa State, he buried 260 threes, the second most in program history.
The preseason recognition keeps piling up for Momcilovic. He has already been named a preseason All-American by CBS Sports, 247 Sports and Sports Illustrated, and he earned preseason All-SEC honors from both the coaches and the media. He also landed on the preseason watch lists for the Julius Erving Award and the National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year award.
The full 2026-27 Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Watch List includes:
Amari Allen, Sophomore Guard, Alabama, SEC
Flory Bidunga, Junior Forward, Louisville, ACC
John Blackwell, Senior Guard, Duke, ACC
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Freshman Center, Duke, ACC
Elliot Cadeau, Senior Guard, Michigan, Big Ten
Rueben Chinyelu, Senior Center, Florida, SEC
Alex Condon, Senior Forward, Florida, SEC
Jason Crowe Jr., Freshman Guard, Missouri, SEC
Thijs De Ridder, Sophomore Forward, Virginia, ACC
Silas Demary Jr., Senior Guard, UConn, BIG EAST
Mason Falslev, Senior Guard, Utah State, PAC-12
Jeremy Fears Jr., Junior Guard, Michigan State, Big Ten
PJ Haggerty, Senior Guard, Texas A&M, SEC
Juke Harris, Junior Guard, Tennessee, SEC
Thomas Haugh, Senior Forward, Florida, SEC
Shelton Henderson, Sophomore Forward, Miami, ACC
Aden Holloway, Senior Guard, Alabama, SEC
Caleb Holt, Freshman Guard, Arizona, Big 12
Josh Hubbard, Senior Guard, Mississippi State, SEC
Braden Huff, Senior Forward, Gonzaga, PAC 12
Tomislav Ivišić, Senior Center, Illinois, Big Ten
Nigel James Jr., Sophomore Guard, Marquette, BIG EAST
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Senior Forward, Kansas, Big 12
Ivan Kharchenkov, Sophomore Forward, Arizona, Big 12
Motiejus Krivas, Senior Center, Arizona, Big 12
Acaden Lewis, Sophomore Guard, Miami, ACC
Tamin Lipsey, Senior Guard, Iowa State, Big 12
Trey McKenney, Sophomore Guard, Michigan, Big Ten
David Mirković, Sophomore Forward, Illinois, Big Ten
John Mobley Jr., Junior Guard, Ohio State, Big Ten
Milan Momcilovic, Senior Forward, Kentucky, SEC
Braylon Mullins, Sophomore Guard, UConn, BIG EAST
Paulius Murauskas, Senior Forward, Arizona State, Big 12
Patrick Ngongba II, Junior Center, Duke, ACC
Tahaad Pettiford, Junior Guard, Auburn, SEC
David Punch, Junior Forward, Texas, SEC
Malik Reneau, Senior Forward, Miami, ACC
Rodney Rice, Senior Guard, USC, Big Ten
Pryce Sandfort, Senior Forward, Nebraska, Big Ten
Jackson Shelstad, Senior Guard, Louisville, ACC
Jordan Smith Jr., Freshman Guard, Arkansas, SEC
Andrej Stojaković, Senior Guard, Illinois, Big Ten
Tyran Stokes, Freshman Guard, Kansas, Big 12
Tyler Tanner, Junior Guard, Vanderbilt, SEC
JT Toppin, Senior Forward, Texas Tech, Big 12
Joseph Tugler, Senior Forward, Houston, Big 12
Matas Vokietaitis, Junior Center, Texas, SEC
Nolan Winter, Senior Forward, Wisconsin, Big Ten
Robert Wright III, Junior Guard, BYU, Big 12
Tounde Yessoufou, Sophomore Guard, St. John’s, BIG EAST
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