Arizona transfer target Milan Momcilovic signing with Kentucky

Milan Momcilovic is signing with Kentucky, the sharpshooter posted Monday on social media.

The Iowa State transfer picked the SEC’s Wildcats over Arizona and Louisville.

The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported on Tuesday Arizona was among the four teams that were finalists for Momcilovic along with St. John’s, Kentucky and Louisville.

After St. John’s added Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou on Wednesday evening, that list was trimmed to three teams, with the Red Storm reportedly being out on Momcilovic’s services.

Kentucky had emerged as the “frontrunner” for Momcilovic on Thursday, according to Joe Tipton and Pete Nakos of On3, and Momcilovic later met with Kentucky via Zoom on Friday, according to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim.

Louisville also reportedly held a Zoom meeting with Momcilovic on Friday, according to Matt Jones of Ky Sports Radio, and Jones said Louisville’s offer remained likely slightly less than Kentucky’s while Arizona’s offer was also less than Kentucky’s.

Jones additionally reported on Saturday afternoon that Louisville and Kentucky both thought they were still in it for Momcilovic but that both schools gave their final offers to Momcilovic on Friday. Jones added Louisville raised their offer, but it was still less than Kentucky’s.

Momcilovic had reportedly still not made a decision as of Sunday evening, according to CardChronicle.com’s Mike Rutherford.

Last season, Momcilovic was named Second Team All-Big 12 and led all Division I scorers in three-point percentage (48.7%) on 7.5 attempts per game. The sharpshooting rising senior also shot 50.6% from the field and 87.8% at the foul line while helping the Cyclones to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals and later to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward’s lack of rebounding (3.1 per game) and assists (1.0 per game) to go along with his defensive deficiencies are his biggest drawbacks despite averaging 16.9 points per game.

Momcilovic went through the NBA draft process and was projected to go in the second round before he withdrew from the draft on Wednesday ahead of the early-entry deadline for players to remove their name and return to college.

Prior to withdrawing from the draft, Momcilovic reportedly had NIL offers on the table worth more than $4 million, according to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel. Goodman later reported Momcilovic “could command $7 million from a school.”

Without Momcilovic, Arizona still has a hole to fill at the power forward position.

Koa Peat, Arizona’s power forward who helped take the Wildcats to their first Final Four in 25 years, decided to keep his name in the draft on Wednesday. Arizona earlier struck out on five-star power forward and local product Cameron Williams out of Phoenix’s Saint Mary’s High School, the No. 4 high school recruit in the nation, who picked Duke.

Another one of Arizona’s targets to play power forward in former Kansas Jayhawk Bryson Tiller reportedly was set to visit Arizona on April 15 but canceled his visit before committing to Missouri on April 16.

With many European professional leagues embarking on their postseason, Arizona could pivot to signing an international player, similar to announcing a deal with former Bayern Munich forward Ivan Kharchenkov last season after Carter Bryant departed for the NBA draft.

The Wildcats are expected to start North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon at point guard, the No. 2 recruit in the nation Caleb Holt at shooting guard, Kharchenkov at small forward and returner Motiejus Krivas at center to round out the rest of Tommy Lloyd’s starting rotation.

Potential Arizona men’s basketball starting lineup

PG: Derek Dixon (North Carolina transfer)

SG: Caleb Holt (5-star recruit)

SF: Ivan Kharchenkov (returnee)

PF:

C: Motiejus Krivas (returnee)

Bench:

G: Bryce James (returnee), Cameron Holmes (4-star recruit), JJ Mandaquit (Washington transfer),

F: Ugnius Jarusevicius (Nebraska transfer), Endurance Aiyamenkhue (Netherlands)

C: Evan Otten (Idaho State transfer), Mabil Mawut (returnee)

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