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Kentucky Gets Stunned In Loss At LSU

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2 years ago

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© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky was stunned in an upset road loss on Wednesday night in Baton Rouge, where they fell to a 75-74 loss to LSU. Antonio Reeves and Rob Dillingham both carried the Cats, but a 15-point lead slipped away, and an unlucky tip-in by LSU in the final seconds was the game after a go-ahead jumper by Rob Dillingham with a few seconds left.

Kentucky had a rough 2nd half, and it led to a stunning loss. Let’s look at what went down throughout the game that cost the Cats the game.

Rob Dillingham, Antonio Reeves Will Kentucky

It was these two that combined for 48 of Kentucky’s 74 points, with big shots by Dillingham in the final minutes, and one of those put Kentucky up by 1 point with 13 seconds left, but a last-second tip-in by LSU wasted the terrific clutch performance.

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Reeves led Kentucky in scoring with 25 points, and Dillingham finished with 23, and 21 of his points were in the 2nd half. Those performances ultimately couldn’t get it done, thanks to a 2nd half collapse and a last-second tip-in.

Kentucky Has 2nd Half Collapse

Kentucky started the 2nd half on a run to give them a comfortable 15-point lead. That lead turned out to be not so comfortable, as Kentucky let the lead slip away, getting down by as much as 5 points. From there it was back-and-forth, with Kentucky having to fight back. Defense was struggling during this time, with Kentucky not able to stop LSU from attacking the basket. Thanks to a clutch shot with 13 seconds left by Rob Dillingham, the Cats led by 1-point, but an LSU tip-in goes in for a tough road loss for the Cats

This was the story of the game to put it simply. It was a 6-minute stretch of a collapsing lead.

Calipari Says “Fifty-Fifty Balls” Cost Kentucky

After the game, Calipari spoke with the media (very briefly, discussing his thoughts on the loss. He stressed that “Fifty-fifty balls” and defensive issues cost them the game. “Fifty-fifty balls cost us the game. It’s all we talk about. Fifty-fifty balls,” Calipari said. “Don’t tell me about your offense. If you’re not going to come up with 50/50 balls, you can’t win.” Kentucky’s lead collapse was definitely a reason for the game being in the position it was, but getting loose balls was also part of that collapse. Calipari said that communication was an issue during Kentucky’s collapse of the 15-point lead.

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Calipari said he was proud, though, of how they fought back after collapsing. “I was proud of these guys, in this environment, doing what they did,” Calipari said. “Fought to get back, made baskets, (Rob) Dillingham made some unbelievable plays. He did what he does.”

It was another tough loss that puts Kentucky at 18-8 overall, 8-5 in SEC play, with 5 games left on the season. Kentucky brings in No. 13 Alabama to Rupp Arena on Saturday, a big opportunity to bounce-back after the tough road loss. Tip-off will be at 4 p.m., televised on CBS.

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

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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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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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