You could make a case that Kentucky has upgraded its roster in several areas, but one area where they haven’t to this point, which has drawn criticism from Big Blue Nation, is the lack of a clear-cut star.

Of course, Kentucky fell short in the Tyran Stokes sweepstakes last week, but a new target has emerged, Iowa State transfer and the second-ranked player in the portal, Milan Momcilovic. Per sources, Kentucky held a Zoom meeting with Momcilovic and his representatives on Wednesday.

If that name sounds familiar, it should. Momcilovic torched Kentucky for 20 points, including four three-pointers, in March, sending the Wildcats home in the NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward is currently testing the NBA Draft waters, but is projected as an early-mid second-round selection. Meaning, there is a strong chance he would earn more money with a return to college than by keeping his name in the draft. Especially so, if the NCAA passes the “5-in-5 rule” later this month, which could give him two more seasons of eligibility.

The numbers on Momcilovic are hard to ignore. He was one of the most lethal three-point shooters in the country last season, connecting at a 48.7% clip from beyond the arc. He averaged 16.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors.

The Wildcats may not get that highly ranked player they have been in pursuit of, but it won’t be without effort.

Kentucky is one of the biggest brands in basketball. The brand that should be one of the program’s greatest recruiting weapons is being flipped into a bargaining chip on the other side of the table.

It’s not anything new.

Under John Calipari, who brought in top-ranked recruiting classes on an annual basis, there were prospects who had Kentucky as a hat on the table, using the brand to improve the optics of their recruitment. That has continued to Mark Pope in the NIL era, but it’s not just recognition on the line; it’s millions of dollars.

In a social media video of him answering fan questions, Pope is aware that is the case.

“Is Kentucky being used by players to leverage for more NIL?” a fan asked.

“Yes,” Pope answered. “We [Kentucky] are the biggest brand in basketball.”

Kentucky’s struggles this offseason show that concern is more apparent now than ever, and Pope’s acknowledgment of that only reinforces the reality of the situation.

The question now is how Pope and Kentucky’s NIL infrastructure respond. The Cats didn’t build one of the biggest brands in college basketball over decades to watch it be used to demand a king’s ransom.

With Kentucky having one of the biggest brands in the sport, part of it comes with the territory; it’s up to the staff to have a better read on recruitments and agent tactics. It’s too late to have an impact this offseason, but hiring someone experienced in agent negotiations and well-versed in NIL and the realities of modern college sports is necessary going forward.

Ousmane N’Diaye, a 22-year-old prospect from Dakar, Senegal, has been on NBA Draft boards for the better part of a decade now, and his next stop is Lexington. Though the 6-10 player you see today, who is skilled, mobile, and comfortable on the perimeter, came far from a traditional basketball environment.

Born in Guédiawaye, a densely populated suburb of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, which faces significant infrastructure challenges, flooding, and poverty, N’Diaye grew up against the odds. What he lacked in material things, he gained through traditional Senegalese values, one of the most important being respect for elders. That value has helped shape his drive today, fueled by the women who mean the most to him, his mother and his grandmother.

“His main motivation is his mother and especially his grandmother,” Seydina Aboubakeur Ba said of N’Diaye, a trainer who has known him since he was a young boy. “He deeply wishes for his grandmother to witness his success, as she has always been there for him through both good and difficult times.”

Ba has known N’Diaye since he was 12 years old, when he helped discover and invite him to join DIEDA Basketball Academy (DBA) in Dakar, a respected player development program in West Africa. The program has helped send multiple players to D1 college programs and professional European clubs.

Shortly after joining, the Academy helped N’Diaye attend a Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa Camp in Angola, where former Wildcat Eric Bledsoe was an instructor.

When he first arrived at DBA, the potential was evident: great size, a natural feel for the game, and a motor that coaches could work with, creating the foundation for his growth.

“Over time, the program helped him significantly develop his shooting ability and transform into a versatile player,” Ba said. “Despite his height, he began to develop like a wing, handle the ball effectively, and move comfortably on the perimeter.”

That kind of versatility in a near 7-foot frame helped N’Diaye garner attention from European clubs.

In 2019, he began to play professionally, starting with Dragons Rhoendorf, a German professional club that competes in the country’s third-highest division. While playing for Rhoendor in 2020, ESPN highlighted a then-15-year-old N’Diaye as “one of the best long-term prospects we evaluated” following a Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Chicago, playing against the likes of current/former NBA players Josh Giddey and Josh Primo.

After three seasons with them, N’Diaye moved to Saski Baskonia, which plays in Spain’s top division, Liga ACB. This past season, he played for the Italian club, Vanoli Cremona, in the LBA, Italy’s top basketball league. There, he averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds on 32% shooting from three.

When asked which NBA player N’Diaye models his game after, Ba, without hesitation, answered Kevin Durant. An audacious comparison, but one that embodies modern basketball, which is increasingly demanding for bigs to be able to function on the perimeter, stretch defenses, and create problems in space. That suits N’Diaye’s playstyle.

While N’Diaye has been playing basketball for a decade, he’s facing some of the most fundamentally sound opponents in Europe, which shows. Undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, there are certainly weaknesses to his game.

“Ousmane still needs to further develop his low-post game,” Ba acknowledges. “He needs to improve certain aspects of his defense in order to become a true franchise player at the highest level.”

The biggest knock on N’Diaye is his poor decision-making at times, but it may be due to his role.

“The context behind his rushed decision-making is trying to be a spark off the bench in limited minutes and ball touches,” international scout Ersin Demir explains. “N’Diaye’s lack of composure takes away the capability to execute easy reads.”

At Kentucky, both N’Diaye and head coach Mark Pope see an opportunity to refine those areas to help him make the move to the highest level in basketball.

“His biggest strength is his desire to be the best,” Ba explains. “He responds very well to coaching. He is a disciplined player who listens carefully and also likes to engage with his coach to better understand and improve. When it comes to criticism, he accepts it.”

With NBA aspirations, N’Diaye remains grounded. “A very simple and humble person,” Ba explains. “Quite shy, who enjoys staying in his own space and building a quiet world around himself.”

As for a message to Kentucky fans, “Give him a lot of love, and I’m sure he will give it back.”

From poverty-stricken Guédiawaye to the biggest stage in college basketball, N’Diaye is a success and is still writing his story.