Kentucky Basketball entered the offseason with plenty of uncertainty after losing several key players to graduation, the transfer portal, and the NBA Draft. While Mark Pope successfully retained Malachi Moreno, Kam Williams, and Brayden Hawthorne, many national analysts still viewed the Wildcats as a team on the outside looking in.
That changed when Iowa State transfer forward Milan Momcilovic committed to Kentucky.
Momcilovic, one of the nation’s top shooters and easily the biggest remaining available transfer, immediately boosted Kentucky’s national perception heading into the 2026-27 season.
Before and After the Momcilovic Commitment
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello
Borzello previously left Kentucky out of his Top 25 rankings altogether. Following the addition of Momcilovic, who ESPN ranked as the No. 1 available transfer, the Wildcats jumped into the rankings at No. 17.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein
Rothstein did not have Kentucky ranked among his top 45 teams earlier this offseason. After Momcilovic’s commitment, the Wildcats vaulted all the way to No. 16.
Bart Torvik
Kentucky has made one of the biggest jumps in Torvik’s projections, climbing 22 spots nationally and moving into the upper half of the SEC.
Evan Miyakawa
Miyakawa’s analytics now project Kentucky as a potential top-15 team entering the season.
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish
The Field of 68’s Rob Dauster
Kentucky’s Projected Starting Lineup
- Zoom Diallo
- Alex Wilkins
- Milan Momcilovic
- Ousmane N’Diaye
- Malachi Moreno
Key Bench Contributors
- Brayden Hawthorne
- Kam Williams
- Jerone Morton
- Justin McBride
- Franck Kepnang
Pope’s top offseason priority was retaining talent, and he accomplished that by bringing back Moreno, who averaged 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a freshman and is expected to take a major leap as a sophomore.
Now, with Momcilovic in the fold, Kentucky finally has the star player many believed it needed.
Just a few weeks ago, the Wildcats were struggling to crack preseason rankings. Now, Kentucky is viewed as a legitimate Top 25 team nationally, a contender to finish near the top of the SEC, and a program with the potential to make a deep NCAA Tournament run in Year 3 under Mark Pope.