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Takeaways From Kentucky Basketball Pro Day

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2 years ago

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The Kentucky Wildcats hosted their 2024 pro day in front of all 32 NBA teams, here are the biggest takeaways.
Chet White | UK Athletics

In the 10th annual Kentucky Pro Day the Wildcats now had a different man at the helm but that did not change the objective. Show the NBA scouts the talent that the Wildcats are going to put on the court this year. We will be going over our biggest takeaways from the 1st Pro Day under new Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope.

THE CATS PLAY FAST

One of the most interesting things about this open practice was how Pope ran it to keep the players fast and always moving. This was shown no better than when he set the shot clock to 12 to force the players to play with urgency always looking for a shot.

We learned later that Pope usually sets the clock to 20 in his practices but moved it up to 12 to show the scouts just how fast these guys can play.

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Coach Pope wants to put up points in any way necessary and you can tell that by watching any film from his tenure at BYU. With the talent he has already brought to Kentucky, you can expect exciting play to follow if pro day taught us anything.

Lamont Butler and Brandon Garrison Lead the Cats on Defense

While everyone raves about Pope’s offensive philosophy rightfully so, we cannot forget to mention the key players that will make the defense for this Kentucky team.

Starting with Lamont Butler is one of the best on-ball defenders in the country and will no doubt be the starting point guard for this team. Not to mention the voice of the Wildcats with his veteran leadership. Butler knows what it takes to win in March and will be the leader of this team.

While it’s almost certain Brandon Garrison will not be in the starting lineup for Kentucky come November, he will certainly get minutes off the bench because of the paint presence he brings.

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The speed at which he moves while guarding the ball is also very impressive for someone of his size. That coupled with his ability to protect the rim will guarantee he gets minutes coming off the bench to guard some of the toughest bigs Kentucky will face.

Kentucky will Shoot the Lights Out

If it wasn’t obvious from the film of these players at their former schools, Pope went out and got him some shooters in his first offseason as the Kentucky basketball coach.

At any given point Kentucky is guaranteed to have four players on the court at all times who will be able to make the three at a high clip.

This helps with the shooting presence of Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr who showed in the pro day that when he’s hot it’s hard for him to miss, coupled with Travis Perry who Pope said has been doing things that he’s “never seen at any level of basketball”.

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Not to mention Dayton transfer Koby Brea who was a hot commodity this offseason with the likes of every blue blood after him in the portal. Honorable mention for Ansley Almonor and let’s not forget Jaxson Robinson’s ability to shoot from any spot on the floor including being the top guy to create his shot.

The Freshmen Surprise

Yes, this is one of the oldest teams in the country when it comes to experience on the floor in college basketball, but let’s not forget the guys playing their first years post-high school.

Collin Chandler has the highest ceiling out of everyone on the roster given what we saw tonight and considering it’s been two years since seeing the floor in a competitive basketball environment. The kid can play with his athleticism and when he gets more consistent from behind the arc, watch out.

Travis Perry needs no introduction the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school basketball history has gotten a ton of praise from Pope this offseason. Perry can shoot it with the best of them so don’t be surprised to see the kid get a good amount of minutes on this year’s roster.

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Let’s not forget Trent Noah, the former South Carolina commit has shown early the potential he has in future years at UK. He may not get to see the floor much this year with the array of veterans Pope put on this year’s roster, but the kid is only going to get better.

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Men's Basketball

Star Forward Milan Momcilovic Chooses Kentucky Over Louisville and Arizona

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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

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6 days ago

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May 27, 2026

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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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