Milan Momcilovic already knows what Mark Pope wants from him at Kentucky, and he sounds ready for the challenge.
The 6-8 forward arrives as exactly the kind of shot-maker the Wildcats were missing. Kentucky needed a reliable scorer, someone who could bury threes when the offense bogged down, and Momcilovic fits that bill cleanly. Last season, he led college basketball in three-point percentage, knocking down 48.7% of his attempts while making 136 threes, the most in Iowa State program history.
Now he’s stepping into a very different setup. Pope’s offense is built around pace, movement and a heavy dose of perimeter shooting, and Momcilovic has already said the coach wants him firing around 10 threes a game. That kind of volume would make him one of the central pieces of the attack, and Momcilovic didn’t shy away from the idea when he talked with media.
"I think so," Momcilovic said when asked if he can acheive that number next season. "Ten threes is hard, though.
People can say that, but at the end of the day, it's hard because these guys are college athletes and they scout, so you know, I think that's the number we strive for. But realistically, it's really hard to get ten threes.
But I think this offense definitely benefits me more. I feel like it's just a lot more movement going on, so I feel like a lot more movement frees me up a little bit more and can give me some more looks."
For Momcilovic, the green light is about more than shot count. It’s also a sign of how Pope views him within the offense.
"I think it just shows the trust he kind of got has in me. ...For the most part, I try to shoot really good shots. Obviously, I'm gonna shoot some harder ones, but I feel like we have a good trust level that I can take any shot that comes presentable."
He’s coming off a season in which he averaged 7.5 three-point attempts per game, but Kentucky’s style should give him more room to operate than the Cyclones’ defense-first approach. Iowa State made its living by turning stops into offense.
Pope wants the ball moving, the points coming fast, and the threes piling up. That’s the kind of environment that can turn a sharp shooter into a featured weapon.
Momcilovic already owns one program record-setting season. Another one at Kentucky wouldn’t be a surprise at all. With his shooting touch and the freedom he’s expected to get, the opportunity is right there.
In Other News...
Kentucky Is Finally Getting The Kind Of Preseason Respect Fans Wanted
Kentucky is starting to get the kind of preseason treatment its fan base has been waiting for, with CBS Sports slotting the Wildcats 16th in its early rankings and ESPN placing them 17th. For a program that spent much of the offseason trying to balance roster turnover with expectations, thats a meaningful sign that the national view is beginning to catch up to the talent on hand.
The appeal starts with a mix of proven pieces and newcomers, especially the transfer group that has given Kentucky a different look heading into the season. ESPN singled out Milan Momcilovic as the Wildcats impact newcomer, while CBS also pointed to the value of bringing back one of the top scorers from last years team in Malachi Moreno. There is still plenty of room for the rankings to shift once the season gets closer, but for now Kentucky has at least earned a place in the conversation it wanted. [Read more 🡒]