Mark Pope has spent the summer trying to make things difficult for Kentucky’s newest shooting weapon, Milan Momcilovic. Instead of simply allowing the Iowa State transfer to settle into comfortable shooting situations, Pope has intentionally challenged him with difficult attempts and unusual scenarios.
So far, Momcilovic has continued to impress.
During a recent conversation with The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, Pope was asked whether he would be smiling as much if Kentucky had not landed Momcilovic in the transfer portal.
“No. No. I like Milan a lot,” Pope said. “There are stories I wish I could tell, and that gets me in trouble when I say that.”
It is easy to understand why Pope is so excited.
Kentucky needed another proven wing for its 2026-27 roster, particularly with Kam Williams continuing his recovery from a foot injury. Momcilovic arrived in Lexington with a reputation as one of the best shooters in college basketball.
Last season at Iowa State, he shot an incredible 48.7% from three-point range on 7.5 attempts per game, leading the nation in three-point percentage.
Pope, however, doesn’t want Momcilovic to become overly concerned about maintaining that percentage. Instead, the Kentucky coach appears ready to give his new shooter the green light.
If that means his percentage drops because he’s taking more shots, Pope seems perfectly comfortable with that trade-off.
And Pope has already been testing him.
“He is so great, and he’s got a little cutting edge to him, too,” Pope said. “A little fearless cutting edge to him. I tried so hard to get him off the shooting leaderboard all summer long, talking smack, putting him in weird situations, making him shoot shots that nobody else was shooting.”
Those challenges could prove valuable once the season begins.
Momcilovic’s numbers suggest he is particularly dangerous when possessions become chaotic. According to CBB Analytics, he shot 53.7% from the field on attempts during the final 10 seconds of the shot clock last season. He was also 22-for-42 from three in those situations, good for 52.4%.
That makes him a potentially dangerous late-game option for Kentucky.
But Pope believes Momcilovic’s greatest quality may be his mentality.
“He’s got a calmness about the way he approaches competition,” Pope said.
Pope even compared him to former Kentucky sharpshooter Koby Brea, explaining that Momcilovic seems most comfortable when taking important shots.
“It seems like he’s freest and most comfortable in the world is when he’s taking a shot, and even more so when he’s taking a big shot,” Pope said. “It’s just his peaceful place.”
With expectations already high, Kentucky could have a player who doesn’t fear the biggest moments — but embraces them.
Pope also praised Momcilovic’s work ethic and his willingness to stay engaged on both ends of the floor.
For the Wildcats, that’s an exciting combination: elite shooting, confidence under pressure and a fearless mentality when the game is on the line.
