Kentucky’s huge Milan Momcilovic NIL payment means it’s time to prove he’s worth it

Milan Momcilovic became the first player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both three-pointers made and three-point shooting percentage. With that kind of resume, the 6’9 forward was always going to attract interest from some of the biggest and most prestigious college basketball programs after deciding to return to school rather than enter the NBA Draft. Momcilovic was ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the transfer portal by 247 Sports . Kentucky was desperate to land to a big-time talent after striking out on some earlier targets, and they reportedly offered more than $6 million in NIL money to get the job done . Momcilovic would have needed to be at least the No. 8 pick in the NBA Draft to earn that type of one-year payday. So far, the marriage between Kentucky and their new start shooter is working out wonderfully for both parties to begin the 2026-27 season. Momcilovic scored 24 points in 28 minutes, knocking down six of his nine three-point attempts against the Manhattan Jaspers in the season opener, once again showcasing his outstanding offensive arsenal. There is little doubt that he immediately put himself in the spotlight and established himself as a player worth following throughout the season. Kentucky will face a gauntlet this year in the SEC, and they have a tough non-conference test against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Champion’s Classic. Kansas is led by potential No. 1 overall draft pick Tyran Stokes . In a spotlight matchup with a younger forward, Momcilovic will have to show that he was worth every penny. How did Momcilovic end up at Kentucky? Momcilovic has a particularly interesting background. His surname traces back to Serbia, the same country that has produced another rising NCAA star in Nikola Kusturica . His father, Nikola, and mother, Zorica, moved to the United States during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. Born in 2004, Milan grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, where he made a name for himself playing for the local high school team. He won three consecutive state championships before eventually becoming a highly ranked recruit and committing to Iowa State. It is hardly surprising that basketball became his path. Wisconsin has a sizable Serbian community, and Momcilovic grew up surrounded by a culture in which the sport has a special place. Interestingly, he has yet to make a final decision regarding his international future, as he remains eligible to represent both Serbia and the United States. For now, however, he has plenty of other things to focus on. Momcilovic’s game is built primarily around his ability to shoot from the perimeter. During his junior season, he averaged as many as 7.5 three-point attempts per game. Shooting close to 50 percent (48.7) from beyond the arc makes that number even more impressive and perfectly illustrates what Kentucky has added to its roster: a mobile, athletic power forward capable of stretching the floor and converting shots at an elite rate. Momcilovic brings a different dimension with his mobility and ability to run the floor. He can also create advantages in transition and get his shot off on the move. So, while the comparison makes sense from a positional and shooting standpoint, their games are built around somewhat different strengths. Where does Mark Pope see Momcilovic fitting in? Head coach Mark Pope made it clear what kind of player he had landed in Momcilovic following Kentucky’s season-opening win, offering a description that perfectly illustrates his value to the Wildcats. “It was great to see Milan make shots, but I think we’re gonna see that all season. It makes the floor really spaced out. We probably played 20 minutes offensively tonight where we were pretty good. And you just see there is so much space on the floor when our guys are really moving and they are being aggressive and physical downhill and earning power plays. He is like the sun, man. He just has so much gravity and he pulls defenders to him away from other guys on our team and makes everybody’s life easier.” Momcilovic did not quite replicate his opening-night performance against James Madison, scoring just seven points on 1-for-8 shooting from three-point range in Kentucky’s 89-80 victory. Still, the Wildcats have every reason to believe they have added a player capable of helping them accomplish something special when the stakes are highest. The game against JMU also served as a reminder that Momcilovic’s journey in Lexington will not necessarily be a smooth or linear one. Playing on a bigger stage brings greater expectations, more defensive attention and the pressure to produce consistently. At the same time, the JMU game also showed Momcilovic that he doesn’t have to carry the offensive load every night for Kentucky to win. Kansas will be a significantly tougher challenge. Having a team capable of getting the job done even when his shot isn’t falling should take some pressure off him, allowing him to settle into his new role and find his rhythm without the expectation of being the difference-maker every time he steps on the floor.