Kentucky landed two names on the SEC coaches’ preseason lists, with Milan Momcilovic earning second-team recognition and Malachi Moreno checking in on the third team ahead of the 2026-27 season.
That matches the preseason All-SEC nods both players already received from the league media earlier this month.
Momcilovic comes to Lexington after a huge junior year at Iowa State, where the 6-foot-9 forward put together one of the most productive shooting seasons in the country. He led the nation in made 3-pointers with 136 and finished first nationally in 3-point percentage at 48.7%, while averaging a career-best 16.9 points per game. His work helped earn him Second Team All-Big 12 honors and a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team as Iowa State went 29-8 and secured a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The scoring came in bunches all season. Momcilovic reached double figures 29 times and topped 20 points in 14 games.
His 136 made threes were the second-most in a single Big 12 season and also set an Iowa State program record. Over three seasons in Ames, he knocked down 260 triples, which leaves him tied for second in school history.
Across his career, he has started 101 games, appeared in 102, and averaged 13.2 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from deep.
Moreno is back for his second season in Lexington after making an immediate impression as a freshman. The Georgetown, Kentucky native was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team last year after starting 30 games and averaging 7.8 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds. He was also highly efficient, shooting 58.2% from the field, and made his presence felt on defense with 53 blocks, another team-best mark.
His freshman season also showed more than just finishing and rim protection. Moreno scored in double figures 11 times, produced three double-doubles, and flashed passing touch with 12 games of at least three assists. He finished the year averaging 1.8 assists per game.
The full coaches’ preseason All-SEC teams are listed below.
First Team:
- Amari Allen (Alabama)
- Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
- Thomas Haugh (Florida)
- Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State)
- Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)
Second Team:
- Alex Condon (Florida)
- Juke Harris (Tennessee)
- Milan Momcilovic (Kentucky)
- Jordan Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
- Matas Vokietaitis (Texas)
Third Team:
- PJ Haggerty (Texas A&M)
- Malachi Moreno (Kentucky)
- Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn)
- David Punch (Texas)
- Billy Richmond III (Arkansas)
In Other News...
Braydon Hawthorne Just Gave Kentucky Fans A Real Early Question
Braydon Hawthorne gave Kentucky a useful glimpse of what he might bring in the exhibition against UCF, and it went beyond the scoring. By halftime, he had seven points and three blocked shots, while also showing the kind of confidence that stood out on a night when the Wildcats were operating without some other players. The performance suggested a freshman willing to take on responsibility early, both on the offensive end and in the flow of the game.
Hawthornes biggest moment may have come late, when Kentucky trusted him with the final out-of-bounds play. He didnt convert either look, but the fact that the Wildcats put the ball in his hands there said plenty about how quickly he is earning trust. For a team still sorting out pieces, his all-around showing gave Kentucky fans something tangible to watch as the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Nearly Let UCF Steal A Game The Wildcats Should've Closed
Kentucky had plenty of chances to put UCF away in regulation, but the Wildcats kept leaving points at the line and let a double-digit lead slip away. A team that should have been able to close the door instead turned a comfortable night into a tense one, with free throw struggles becoming the biggest reason the game stayed alive longer than it should have.
UCF did its part to make things uncomfortable, cashing in at the stripe and even taking the lead late in regulation before Kentucky finally steadied itself in overtime. The Wildcats still finished with a 90-76 win, but the final margin did not reflect how shaky it got, or how much cleaner this one should have looked long before the extra period. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's New-Look Team Already Has One Frustrating Problem
Kentuckys new roster got its first real tune-up Saturday night, and the result was encouraging even if it came with a reminder that exhibition games can still feel unfinished. The Wildcats outlasted UCF 90-76 in overtime, getting a strong showing from Mason Williams, who led the way with 18 points, while Malachi Moreno flashed the kind of all-around impact that can make this group interesting as the season gets rolling.
Moreno came close to a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, a sign that Kentucky may have more than one player capable of shaping a game in different ways. Still, the tighter stretches and extra five minutes were a hint that theres work to do before the games count for real, and the Wildcats wont have long to sort it out with Manhattan coming to Rupp Arena on Tuesday to open the regular season. [Read more 🡒]