As Kentucky Men’s Basketball prepares to tip off the 2026-27 regular season, one new face could make a significant impact on the Wildcats’ offense this year: Milan Momcilovic.

The senior forward transferred to Kentucky after spending three seasons at Iowa State, where he established himself as one of the nation’s most consistent outside shooters.

Momcilovic is already gaining national attention ahead of his first season as a Wildcat, as he is projected to be the top three-point shooter in the country with an estimated three-point percentage of 43.4%, per Evan Miya.

During the 2025-26 season at Iowa State, Momcilovic made 136 three-point shots, which ranked second all-time in Big 12 single-season history while setting a new Iowa State program record. This number also led the nation by a comfortable margin.

He shot 48.7% from beyond the arc last season, and has an average of 42.8% in his collegiate career. Now, Momcilovic is bringing that experience and shooting ability to the blue and white, where he has the opportunity to become a superstar for the Wildcats.

In Kentucky’s three exhibition games, Momcilovic was 9-20 on threes, which is an accuracy of 45.0%. Although these were only exhibition games, Momcilovic has already given the Big Blue Nation a glimpse of what he could bring to the Wildcats’ offense.

For Mark Pope, having such a consistent shooter could be a major advantage offensively. Momcilovic’s ability to knock down shots from deep could help Kentucky stretch opposing defenses and create additional scoring opportunities for other players – almost like his gravity makes it easy for his teammates to get open looks.

If Momcilovic can maintain the consistency he demonstrated with the Cyclones, he has the potential to make a significant impact in his first season wearing that beloved Kentucky jersey.

As the Wildcats prepare for their regular season opener against Manhattan on November 3, Momcilovic is gearing up to potentially be another household name to come through Lexington.

The time is here BBN! Tonight, the 2026-27 college basketball season begins for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats, looking to start off the year right with a win at Rupp Arena!

Pope is entering his third season as head coach, coming off of a 22-win campaign where his team finished in the middle of the conference rankings. This is an important season for the former Wildcat, with fans wanting to see him excel in the position before another talk is had.

He did his part in the offseason, assembling a talented roster that was stout enough to earn No. 23 in the preseason rankings. Multiple players earned honors as we transitioned from summer to fall, building animosity for the superstars on this team.

Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno are the clear-cut leaders, looking to show off what they can do on a basketball court now that they both have had new experiences. There’s so much to talk about with this year’s squad, but it’s best to just watch and see how they perform when the regular season is officially underway and when every win counts.

Let’s take a look at the matchup and key points for tonight.

Shooting From Deep

Kentucky’s identity from last season needed a change, and Pope did his diligence in the summer, bringing in several sharpshooters. This team should be fun to watch, and they certainly won’t hesitate to get some shots up.

We saw flashes from Momcilovic and how good he can be in the preseason, transferring from Iowa State and reigning as the best shooter in college basketball. Others, like freshman Mason Williams and sophomore Alex Wilkins, have been deadly with the ball in their hands, finding their shot early quite well. Osumane N’Diaye and Justin McBride showcased great volume in the exhibition matchups – confidence is always key.

It’s important for this team to create chemistry and find the best open look possible, not force a bad shot just because there’s potential that it can be made. Take the easy shot, continue to move the ball around and trust the unit on the floor.

Giving Effort at All Times

Several times during the exhibition matchups, there was a lack of urgency and/or a lack of hustle, resulting in comebacks and scoring runs for the opponents. Not much to add here, because it’s simple, play the full 40 minutes and don’t give in until the final buzzer sounds.

Many members of the Big Blue Nation want to see their team take care of business without any drama, which would be a nice way to begin the 2026-27 campaign.

Let the Hot Hand Take Over

This team has extreme potential at all areas and enough talent to make two starting lineups, but there’s only one ball. We’ve seen players like Williams and Wilkins call their own shot in the preseason, and it’s important to not interrupt that flow.

Whoever’s shot is falling more tonight should continue to have plays drawn up for them, no matter who it is. It’s important to solidify who can take a game over for you when you need it most, especially on a night when the opponent is of less quality.

Key Players For Manhattan

Guard Ben Tweedy, 6-foot-4, 185 lbs

• Preseason All-Metro Third Team

• Transferred from Colgate

• Averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last season

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Manhattan Jaspers

• Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET on November 3, 2026
• Location: Rupp Arena (Lexington, KY)
• TV Channel: SEC Network+ will have the coverage for this game
• Announcers: Noah Frary, Jon Hood and Michelle Knezovic will have the call
• Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app
• Radio: Tom Leach and Goose Givens have the UK radio call on the UK Sports Network
• Satellite Radio: 840 WHAS (AM), 630 WLAP (AM), 98.1 WBUL (PM)
• Replay: ESPN+
• Rosters: UK | MAN
• Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky listed as 32.5-point favorites, with a point total for the game set at 158.5. ESPN gives the Wildcats a 99.0% chance to pull off the home win.
• Predictions: Kentucky should have no problem in the first game of the season tonight, serving as insanely heavy favorites. My final score prediction comes out to 92-65 Wildcats, with Zoom Diallo leading the team in both points and assists.

Send us your score predictions down in the comments section!

Kentucky is preparing to begin its 2026-2027 campaign, but with so many new faces joining the squad and more than a few uncertainties following the preseason, fans are debating how far the team can go this March.

Let’s break down what the analytics are saying…

Evanmiya.com ran 10,000 simulations of the college basketball season to determine each team’s floor and ceiling this year.

After the simulations, Kentucky was ranked fifth in the SEC, with a national preseason rank of No. 19. The average finish for the Wildcats in the simulations was 26th in the country, with their ceiling being 6th and their floor being 68th.

Again, these are just simulations, so take it with a grain of salt.

Looking back on Mark Pope’s squad and their exhibition games, this roster seems to have talent and depth, with Mason Williams being one of the unexpected standouts early on. Braydon Hawthorne, Malachi Moreno and Milan Momcilovic have all turned heads as well.

Williams was the second-highest scorer in the Wildcats’ last exhibition game against UCF, where he tallied 18 points on the night and led UK to an overtime win at Rupp Arena.

With Momcilovic being named to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team and Moreno being named to the Preseason All-SEC Third Team, it’s evident that the coaches, fans and media admit this roster has the talent necessary to make a deep run.

Both have commented multiples times this offseason on how important chemistry has been when the team was meshing over the offseason, which should give fans hope that the two main stars on this team will lead Kentucky with everything they have.

A 10-8 record for Pope and company in SEC play last year won’t play, so it’s all hands on deck for the search of improvement this season. So BBN, can this squad put the blue and white back on top of the college basketball world?

We will find out soon enough, with Kentucky starting its regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 3 and hosting Manhattan. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.