KSR Today: Thank Goodness, Milan Momcilovic is a Kentucky Wildcat
Good morning, friends. The sun is shining a little brighter this morning because your University of Kentucky Wildcats added a major piece to the 2026-27 roster, one that could change the trajectory of Mark Pope’s third season.
If you went to bed early and are just checking your phone, I am thrilled to be the first to tell you that Milan Momcilovic finally committed to Kentucky. The news dropped after 10 p.m. ET, and even after a long wait, it is totally worth it. Let’s start there, because where else would we?
Milan Momcilovic is a Kentucky Wildcat
At long last, Milan Momcilovic is a Kentucky Wildcat. The top three-point shooter in all of college basketball signed with Kentucky on Monday, picking the Cats over Louisville and Arizona. He is the 14th member of next year’s roster, the fifth addition from the transfer portal. Kentucky’s portal class now ranks No. 2 in the country in 247 Sports’ rankings, right behind Louisville. The fact that Momcilovic picked the Cats over the Cards makes the news especially sweet, and heightens the stakes for December’s game in Rupp.
In three seasons at Iowa State, Momcilovic rewrote the Cyclone history books, setting the single-season record for made three-pointers (136) and three-point percentage (48.7%). Those numbers led the country last season. Kentucky fans got an up-close look at Momcilovic in the Cats’ NCAA Tournament second-round loss to the Cyclones, in which he swished four threes en route to 20 points. Over three years in Ames, Momcilovic totaled 260 made threes on 608 attempts (42.8%). Last season, he made an average of 3.7 threes per game.
Mark Pope and his staff reportedly sold Momcilovic on a Koby Brea-type role in Lexington. Last season, Momcilovic made more threes (136) than Brea and Ansley Almonor combined (132). His shooting is sorely needed at Kentucky. We saw what happened when Pope’s system lacked it last year. Without Momcilovic, this year’s team wasn’t shaping up to be much different, which is why this addition is so huge, reportedly worth $6 million, which will make Momcilovic one of the highest-paid players in the sport.
Kentucky now has a proven scorer who can light it up from the outside and space the floor. Even the threat of Momcilovic makes everyone around him better. Injuries withstanding (goodness knows we’ve had more than our fair share the last two years), we’ll finally get to see Pope’s system as it’s meant to be played. It was a long and tense wait, but he has more than earned the victory lap he took on social media, a picture of himself talking on the phone on a beach set to 50 Cent’s “Many Men (Wish Death).” We first heard him use the song in one of his fan Q&A videos last month. Now, it’s cemented as his theme going into a make-or-break third year. I doubt the cards in his hand — or rather, up his sleeve — are a coincidence either. Momcilovic is certainly one; is Jamal Crawford the other?
Speaking of victory laps, the Banner Boys finally got to take one after striking out on Rob Wright, Donnie Freeman, and Tyran Stokes:
At the KSR headquarters, we celebrated in the only way we know how: a Rapid Reaction. Drew Franklin, Zack Geoghegan, Jacob Polacheck, and Jack Pilgrim convened on YouTube to discuss the addition and what it means for next season, with Jack joining from a family vacation at the beach. There’s no way he was missing this one.
We’ll keep the party going all day long on the site and KSR+. Kentucky’s roster is now complete, and despite all the doom and gloom of the offseason, it looks pretty good. Thank goodness.
Kentucky Baseball’s season is over
The Momcilovic news was a nice boost for BBN after another disappointing night for Kentucky Baseball. The Bat Cats were in the driver’s seat in the Morgantown Regional headed into Sunday, just to collapse in the 9th inning and give the Mountaineers the win. It looked like we were headed down a similar road on Monday night, as errors continued and West Virginia took control. You know Kentucky was in trouble when Jaxson Jelkin came in at the bottom of the fourth inning, but even the ace struggled, allowing five hits and three runs in 2.2 innings played.
Trailing 5-1 in the eighth inning, Kentucky conjured one last bit of magic. Hudson Brown hit a three-run home run, which Ethan Hindle followed up with a solo home run to tie the game at 5-5. The Cats held strong in the ninth to force extra innings, but unfortunately, it didn’t last long. West Virginia won on a walk-off single by Armani Guzman to take the regional and advance to play Cal Poly in the Super Regional. Kentucky will head home to start building for the 2027 season. The transfer portal for baseball is already open.
Mo Williams is at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in Mexico
Recruiting never stops. Today, Kentucky’s newest assistant Mo Williams is in Leon, Mexico, to watch Team USA in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. The US squad features several 2027 recruits with Kentucky offers, including Adan Diggs, Darius Wabbington, and Demarcus Henry. On Monday, Team USA beat Argentina by 30, 88-58, in pool play. Tonight, they’ll take on Mexico. If you like, you can watch it on YouTube and do a little scouting of your own.
Will Stein’s first football camp was a success
Over at the Joe Craft Football Training Center, the vibes continue to be immaculate. Will Stein and his staff hosted their first camp of the summer on Monday, inviting high schoolers from around the country to showcase their skills and see what is brewing in Lexington.
- 1New
Mark Pope in Mexico
Recruiting for the Cats
- 2Breaking
GOLDEN TEMPO
Wins the Belmont Stakes!
- 3Trending
Cheaper concessions 👏
coming to UK's on-campus venues
- 4
Official Visitors on Campus
Talented prospects arrive in Lexington
- 5Trending
Momcilovic Moves In
Milan Touches Down in Lexington
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A ton of talent was in the house, including offensive line commit Matthias Burrell, four-star defensive lineman Seth Tillman, 2028 standouts Kaiden Buchanan (linebacker) and Keith Nolen (wide receiver, cornerback), and 2029 quarterbacks Marcus Washington and Zack Parker. Many left with offers, including 14-year-old Jacob Carter, a rising freshman offensive lineman at Boyd County. It takes a very big person to make offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich look small. The 6-foot-5, 340-pound Carter did just that on Monday.
Nick Roush and Justin Rowland were at Kroger Field on Monday to take in it all. Check out Roush’s takeaways — including another thrilling appearance by the Power K — and Justin’s detailed guest list on KSR+. More content is coming, which is a great transition to my next topic…
The KSR+ Summer Sale is on!
Between Milan Momcilovic watch, Kentucky Baseball, and Stein’s first football camp, KSR+ is brimming with content and conversation. Luckily for you, we just kicked off the KSR+ Summer Sale. All month long, the Ultimate Fan Bundle is 50% off for new subscribers, giving access to all content on KSR+, On3, and Rivals, plus a full year of access to The Athletic. Sign up here.
Stanley Cup Finals start tonight
The final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is finally here, featuring the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Matt Jones’ Carolina Hurricanes. Game 1 takes place in Raleigh tonight at 8 p.m. ET (ABC). Even if you’re not a hockey fan, give it a chance. There is nothing like playoff hockey, especially when Lord Stanley’s Cup is on the line.
NBA Finals start tomorrow
We’ve still got one day until the NBA Finals tip off in San Antonio. Even though the series doesn’t move to New York until Monday, the Big Apple is getting ready, with the MTA painting the subway stop outside Madison Square Garden in Knicks blue and orange.
The only television my husband and I watched on vacation last week was the conference finals, so we are officially invested in the Knicks vs. the Spurs. It’s awesome that either way, a Cat(s) will get a ring, but personally, I’m rooting extra hard for Karl-Anthony Towns, still one of my favorite players to ever wear Kentucky blue.
Here’s the schedule in case you need a refresher, and a preview from Zack Geoghegan, KSR’s resident NBA expert. It all begins with Game 1 in San Antonio on Wednesday.
| Game | Date | Tipoff Time (ET) | Matchup | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Wed., June 3 | 8:30 p.m. | Knicks at Spurs | Frost Bank Center (San Antonio) | ABC |
| Game 2 | Fri., June 5 | 8:30 p.m. | Knicks at Spurs | Frost Bank Center (San Antonio) | ABC |
| Game 3 | Mon., June 8 | 8:30 p.m. | Spurs at Knicks | Madison Square Garden (New York) | ABC |
| Game 4 | Wed., June 10 | 8:30 p.m. | Spurs at Knicks | Madison Square Garden (New York) | ABC |
| Game 5* | Sat., June 13 | 8:30 p.m. | Knicks at Spurs | Frost Bank Center (San Antonio) | ABC |
| Game 6* | Tue., June 16 | 8:30 p.m. | Spurs at Knicks | Madison Square Garden (New York) | ABC |
| Game 7* | Fri., June 19 | 8:30 p.m. | Knicks at Spurs | Frost Bank Center (San Antonio) | ABC |
Drew Franklin hosts KSR
Matt Jones is out today, and Ryan Lemond is still on the IR, so Drew Franklin’s got the keys to today’s show. Tune in to hear Drew and Shannon the Dude celebrate Milan Momcilovic being a Cat. It’s a very good day in the Bluegrass.
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