Milan Momcilovic to Kentucky Closes the Book on the 2026 Transfer Portal
Milan Momcilovic to Kentucky essentially closed the book on the 2026 college basketball transfer portal cycle. The former Iowa State star was the last remaining uncommitted transfer in ESPN’s top 100, and his commitment to the Wildcats has been the final major domino of an offseason that saw record-breaking movement across the sport.
Kentucky has been aggressive all offseason under Mark Pope, and adding Momcilovic gives them another proven Big 12 scorer to plug into the rotation. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged double figures at Iowa State last season and shot the three well enough to stretch defenses. That fits exactly what Pope’s offense wants to do.
The transfer portal numbers this year were absolutely staggering. More than 2,700 players entered the portal in the two-week window after the 2025-26 season ended. That is not a number. That is a full-blown reshuffling of college basketball rosters at a scale nobody would have predicted five years ago.
Coaches are adapting to the new reality by building entire rotations through the portal instead of relying on high school recruiting. Rick Barnes and Tennessee signed eight transfers alone this offseason. Programs bringing in eight, nine, or even 10 transfers has become the norm, and it is not limited to first-year coaches trying to build a roster quickly.
New LSU coach Will Wade is a great example. Wade is finding creative ways to fill his roster after the Tigers had just one committed player when the transfer portal deadline closed. His story is going to be a fascinating one to watch this season. Building an SEC-caliber roster in a matter of weeks is not easy, but Wade has done more with less at previous stops.
The Momcilovic move raises Kentucky’s ceiling significantly. Pope is building a roster that can compete for the SEC title and make a legitimate run in the NCAA tournament. Adding a veteran scorer with Big 12 experience is exactly the kind of piece a program like Kentucky needs to compete at the highest level.
Kentucky’s roster now features a mix of high school recruits, returning players, and transfer additions that gives them versatility on both ends of the floor. Momcilovic can play either forward spot and gives Pope another shooter to space the floor. That is exactly what an offense like Kentucky’s needs to maximize its playmakers.
The other big story of the offseason continues to be injuries. St. John’s forward Donnie Freeman is going to miss all of next season with an Achilles injury suffered during a workout. That is a huge blow for the Red Storm, who had picked up Freeman from Syracuse in the portal earlier this offseason. Rick Pitino now has to reshape his roster on the fly heading into the season.
Louisville also made news when Flory Bidunga officially signed. Bidunga had committed to Louisville back in April after transferring from Kansas but had been testing NBA Draft waters. His decision to return to college basketball gives Louisville a legitimate center to build around, and it fits the model of what modern college basketball rosters look like.
The NIL era has completely changed how programs recruit and retain players. Every one of these transfer decisions has money attached to it, and the biggest programs have the resources to fill any hole they identify. That is going to keep the portal churn at a high level for the foreseeable future, and it is going to keep coaches busy year-round chasing every possible upgrade.
Momcilovic to Kentucky is a fitting end to an offseason that felt like it lasted forever. The Wildcats made a big splash. Iowa State loses a proven contributor. The college basketball landscape continues its endless reshuffling. And every fan in the SEC is now waiting to see how this Kentucky roster comes together on the floor.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
