Mark Pope and his coaching staff are hitting the road for the first live recruitment period of the summer, starting first with the Nike EYBL games in Memphis, Tennessee.

With the first game tipping off at noon on Friday, May 15, Kentucky will be keeping its eye on several of the top targets in the 2027 class.

Participants include CJ Rosser, Ryan Hampton, Reese Alston and Chase Lumpkin, the most recent offer. All have been contacted by the Wildcats and heavily pursued up to this point.

Although no offers for the 2028 class have been set in stone, Kam Mercer is a name of value to watch this weekend as he has visited Kentucky already.

With a pit stop over at the Adidas 3SSB games likely in play this weekend too, these next three days serve as an important opportunity to garnish interest for incoming classes.

With Mo Williams and others making their first trips as members of the staff, the Big Blue Nation can anticipate some life in the freshman recruitment process.

The NBA Draft deadline is fast approaching, and many players with fringe first-round grades are weighing the options of remaining in the draft or returning to college. Obviously, Kentucky’s Malachi Moreno is one such player, but so is Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic.

Following a Zoom call with his representation last week, Mark Pope has firmly placed Kentucky in the race to land Momcilovic’s services, who self-admittedly believes it would be a good fit.

“I think Kentucky would be a good fit,” Momcilovic told the Herald-Leader at the Draft Combine. “I obviously went against Pope at BYU his first year in the Big 12, and I loved how his team played. I think we went 1-1 against them, but they killed us at their place, because they fly the ball up the court and shoot 3s. I really like the way they play.”

Momcilovic also had a first-hand look at this past year’s Kentucky team, torching the Wildcats for 20 points and sending them home in the Round of 32. He believes he could fill a need that was missing from that team: shooting.

“Kentucky last year, he didn’t have enough shooters around him to really coach, I feel like, the way he wanted,” Momcilovic said. “But I think — if I were to choose Kentucky — that would be a good fit for me. I feel like I’d be a great player for him, and he’d be a good coach for me.”

Momcilovic is considered to be the best shooter in this year’s draft class. Becoming the first men’s basketball player in history to both lead the country in 3-point percentage (48.6%) and make the most 3-pointers (136) in a single season, it’s easy to see why.

The recruiting market for a player like Momcilovic is narrow. At this point in the offseason, few schools have the money remaining in their budget to pay him, expected to receive upward of $4 million, or are able to offer a solidified role. He is aware of that.

“There’s not a lot of schools that still have a lot of money and a lot of roster spots left,” Momcilovic said. “So it’s not like I’m choosing between 15 schools. It’s going to be three or four.”

Momcilovic confirmed he hasn’t spoken directly with the Kentucky staff yet, putting his full focus on the NBA Draft process, but conversations with his camp have happened.

“I personally haven’t talked to them yet,” he said. “I know some people around me have talked to them. So, they’re in there. I’ll say that. But I’m not really focused on that route right now.”

While tempting, money is not at the forefront of his decision if he returns to college. Instead, he is prioritizing fit, looking to raise his stock in a weaker draft class.

“I’m not gonna go money hunt for like the top school that offers me the most money,” he said. “So, I mean, obviously, it’s really cool to hear some of those numbers, and it’s tempting. But for me, I don’t need all that. I just need a good spot where I can go.”

Momcilocic still has multiple workouts scheduled with teams ahead of the withdrawal deadline, May 27th. In less than two weeks, with the decisions of Moreno and Momcilovic, Kentucky’s roster and season outlook could look completely different, for better or for worse.

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.