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Men's Basketball

The Great (John) Wall: A Tribute to One of Kentucky’s Finest

One of the greatest guards to ever do it in the blue and white has officially retired. Thank you for everything, #11.

Published

10 months ago

on

John Wall retires from basketball.
UK Athletics

As a then 10-year old kid passively interested in basketball, I remember the moment I truly fell in love with the game as if it happened yesterday.

I was sitting on the floor in front of my T.V. watching a Washington Wizards game – who they were playing against, I’m not sure, but I didn’t care. #11 brought the ball up the floor, kicked on the jets to beat his first defender, and went up for what appeared to be a contested layup in the paint…

Until it wasn’t. A 360, mid-air spin rendered his defender completely useless, allowing for an easy finish and a wide-eyed moment that kid never forgot. I’ve been a hoops addict ever since, and I owe it to John Wall. Today, he announced his official retirement on social media.

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It’s easy to look back on Wall’s career as a whole and forget about the immeasurable impact that he had at every stop, Kentucky being far from the least of these. The highly-touted guard (who still boasts one of the greatest high school mixtapes of all time) committed to the blue and white just two months after John Calipari was hired as the head coach, back in 2009.

Say what you will about the Calipari tenure now, but reeling from the Billy Gillespie era prior to that point, Lexington needed an answer. As Calipari’s first commitment, Wall took the task head on. From a game-winner in his collegiate debut against Miami (OH), to the 16 assist performance against Hartford, Wall has more than a few legendary games in Lexington on his belt, not to mention countless dunks, dishes, and other such similar highlights that set him apart from the very beginning.

Wall also took home National Player of the Year honors in his lone season in the NCAA, as well as SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP, and, more recently, he was inducted into the UK Athletics hall of fame. And yet, somehow, his career and legacy stretch much further than his laundry list of technical accomplishments.

It’s about the droves of fans who still rock his jersey at Rupp Arena, 15 years since he last wore it there himself; about the innumerable amount of opposing coaches and players who gave Wall his flowers, despite him most often being the reason for their downfall. Rick Pitino specifically comes to mind who, after his Cardinals lost to Kentucky in Lexington, said of Wall: “He wasn’t having a great night, but the best thing about that young man is it never bothered him. He never lost focus. He stayed with it.”

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And, of course, you can’t so much as play the opening seconds of ‘Teach Me How to Dougie’ without making mention of Wall’s infamous iteration of the song and dance. Wherever he went, a culture uniquely his own came with him. In 2009, basketball in Lexington had an illness, and #11 was the cure. All that, and it goes without saying that he was then drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards in 2010, and went on to deliver one of the most electrifying stretches of any guard in the league throughout the decade.

There will never be another player or personality like John Wall. For the game to officially “lose” a generational talent certainly stings, but if anything, maybe this means Wall will have a little more time on his hands to come visit his city.

Either way, there’s always a spot in Rupp Arena for #11. Hopefully soon, that number will make its way to the rafters, too.

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Men's Basketball

Star Forward Milan Momcilovic Chooses Kentucky Over Louisville and Arizona

Published

1 day ago

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June 1, 2026

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Photo via AOL

The wait is over BBN!

Milan Momcilovic has officially announced that he will be playing his senior year of college basketball at Kentucky, suiting up in the blue and white for Mark Pope and the Wildcats!

The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 16.9 points per game in the 2025-26 season, leading the nation in 3-pointers made (136) and percentage from deep (48.7%).

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Momcilovic is mostly ranked as No. 2 in most portal rankings, but ESPN has the former Cyclone as the No. 1 overall player. With that being said, this technically serves as Pope’s first No. 1 transfer during his tenure at Kentucky.

Pulling his name out of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27, Kentucky was seemingly the favorite to land the wing during the entire sweepstakes due to positional need, scheme fit and money available to spend. He could even play another year with the Kentucky Wildcats if the “5-in-5” rule is passed and he forgoes the draft again.

Putting Pat Kelsey in a locker and outbidding him on a recruit is always great for morale, but this fills the much-needed star spot for next year’s roster. Pope and his staff have shaped the team with plenty of skilled players, but Momcilovic adds that extra layer of shooting and will serve as the go-to guy when a game may be on the line.

This will be the final player added to the 2026-27 team, with an insert at the starting small forward position in Momcilovic’s future. Pope and the Big Blue Nation have their guy, and soon enough, we’ll see the Pewaukee, Wisconsin native on Rupp Arena’s court.

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Men's Basketball

National Reporter Matt Norlander Chooses Kentucky as Landing Spot for Star Forward Milan Momcilovic

Published

6 days ago

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May 28, 2026

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Photo via Imagn Images

The Milan Momcilovic sweepstakes is underway, with multiple teams involved in the No. 2 overall transfer player’s recruitment. It is believed that Kentucky and Louisville are the top candidates after his decision to pull out from the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27.

Along with the in-state rivals, Arizona and St. John’s are both very well still in the mix, but the Red Storm are slowly falling out of contention after landing Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou.

On May 28, national reporter Matt Norlander cleared the air on CBS Sports’ Eye On College Basketball podcast, stating that he believes Kentucky will land Momcilovic by the end of the weekend or Monday.

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“My prediction right now is that Milan Momcilovic will go to Kentucky,” Norlander said. “My understanding is that decision is going to come in the next one, two, three days, four days max.”

He would go on to talk about the other top programs involved, stating why he thinks they will be working in an uphill battle in this bidding war.

“My forecast is that it’s Kentucky, but you know, we’ll see if Louisville can get in there,” he continued. “Arizona I don’t think has the money to contend, like I think Kentucky and Louisville just have more money to play with.”

For the worried members of the Big Blue Nation, this is certainly good news to be put out by one of the most trusted college basketball reporters at the national level.

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Going by this report and Adam Zagoria’s from NYT Sports, it shouldn’t be long until a commitment decision for Momcilovic is announced publicly.

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Men's Basketball

BREAKING: No. 2 Ranked Transfer Milan Momcilovic Removes Name From 2026 NBA Draft

Published

6 days ago

on

May 27, 2026

By

Kamil Krzaczynski | Imagn Images

Milan Momcilovic has officially removed his named from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to college for his senior season.

Kentucky leads in his recruitment, followed closely by St. John’s, Louisville and Arizona. A backdoor to Iowa State is also still open.

The No. 2 ranked transfer would be a huge addition to Kentucky’s 2026-27 roster if he committed, averaging 16.9 points per game on 50.6/48.7/87.8 shooting splits last year. Funny enough, in the current world of college athletics that we live in, Momcilovic was responsible for eliminating the Wildcats from the NCAA Tournament, dropping 20 points in the Round of 32.

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He would go on to lose to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 with Iowa State, so at least we know that there’s some inner-hatred for a long-standing rival if he ends up a Wildcat.

He made the most three-point shots in Division I basketball and is a versatile 6-foot-8 wing, which would fit perfectly into Mark Pope’s offensive system. He completed workouts with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves during the draft process.

Now, the bidding war for the top dog begins, with some of the most prestigious programs in the sport placing their bets on the star forward.

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