In a major development for college basketball, Iowa State’s standout sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic has made a decisive move in his career. On Wednesday, Momcilovic announced he would withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft, choosing instead to return to college for his senior year. This decision sets the stage for an intense competition among colleges eager to land one of the most coveted transfers in the game.
Momcilovic holds the distinction of being the second highest-rated player in the 2026 transfer portal, following an impressive season where he averaged 16.9 points and 3.1 rebounds. His contributions were pivotal for the Cyclones, who secured a No. 2 seed in last spring’s NCAA Tournament. Standing at 6-foot-8, Momcilovic delivered a shooting performance for the ages, leading the nation with 136 three-pointers. His repertoire included a variety of shots, from movement 3-pointers to spot-up shots and his signature fadeaway midrange jumper.
Joining an elite group of only 17 players in the past 19 years to achieve 135 or more three-pointers in a season, Momcilovic’s name stands alongside legends like Steph Curry of Davidson, Buddy Hield of Oklahoma, and Oakland’s Jack Gohlke. Remarkably, he accomplished this feat with an outstanding 48.6% shooting accuracy from beyond the arc, a level of efficiency and volume unparalleled in recent college basketball history.
Despite his impressive shooting skills, Momcilovic did not secure a first-round guarantee from any NBA team. His evaluation is complicated by certain limitations: his secondary playmaking abilities are lacking, his ball-handling remains questionable, he struggles as an offensive rebounder, and there are concerns about his defensive capability in open space. Financially, staying in college presents a lucrative opportunity, as he can earn significantly more than the potential earnings of a second-round NBA draft pick. Sources have informed CBS Sports that Momcilovic is poised to become one of the highest-paid college players next season, with offers potentially exceeding $7 million.
As the bidding war intensifies, universities such as Louisville, Kentucky, and St. John’s are actively pursuing Momcilovic, while Texas Tech and Arizona from the Big 12 are also expressing strong interest. Although UCLA was initially rumored to be in the race, they are no longer considered contenders. The recruitment process is expected to gain momentum rapidly, with colleges eager to secure this exceptional talent.
Where will Momcilovic play in 2026-27?
Louisville, Kentucky, and St. John’s have been jockeying for position behind the scenes with Momcilovic’s reps, but this recruitment is expected to shift into overdrive in the coming hours and days, especially since Big 12 stalwarts like Texas Tech and Arizona have also thrown their hats into the ring. UCLA was another school mentioned with Momcilovic, but the Bruins are not in the mix here.
“I’ve been in college for three years, and I know what to ask and what to look for,” Momcilovic told reporters at the NBA Draft Combine. “I don’t need to go on a visit or anything. I can probably choose pretty quickly. Also, there aren’t a lot of schools that still have a lot of money or a lot of roster spots, so it’s not like I’m choosing between 15 schools, it’s going to be three or four.”
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The money is the elephant in the room and the escalation in Momcilovic’s market is apparent, but this will be a basketball decision. Even though Momcilovic could have the option to play two more years of college basketball with the imminent 5-in-5 eligibility rule, Momcilovic reiterated at the NBA Draft Combine that he only wants to spend one more season in college.
Let’s dive into the pros and cons of Momcilovic’s top suitors.
St. John’s
Pros: You get to be mentored by Rick Pitino, who is on the shortlist for the best player-development coach in the land. Trustworthy point guard play is essential to maximize Momcilovic’s game, and St. John’s has it. Pitino reeled in 6-foot-5 point guard Quinn Ellis from the EuroLeague. The 23-year-old floor general will be one of the best PG1s in the Big East next season, and it’s not hard to envision Momcilovic mixing in some pick-and-pops with Ellis into his portfolio. You could make a strong argument that St. John’s has the best point guard of any Momcilovic suitor. Winning big is a factor, and a starting lineup of Ellis, Ian Jackson, Momcilovic, Donnie Freeman and Ruben Prey has some teeth on paper. St. John’s would look every bit the part of a top-20 club, and Momcilovic would be asked to be a piece, not the piece, which is vital.
Cons: Pitino uses a full-court, man-to-man press more than basically anybody. That’s draining and demanding on the body, especially for a shooter. Does that mesh with Momcilovic’s game? In some ways, Iowa State’s swarming, trapping defense helped keep Momcilovic out of harm’s way on defense. At St. John’s, it’s much more of a guard-your-yard, switch-everything scheme. Momcilovic’s true ability to guard in space would be on full display, which could be illuminating.
Kentucky
Pros: Mark Pope knows how to create open shots for big shooters. Jaxson Robinson and Koby Brea are the most recent examples of that. The blend of the current Kentucky roster would start to make a lot of sense with Momcilovic in the fold. Two playmaking point guards (Alex Wilkins, Zoom Diallo) and two snipers (Momcilovic and Kam Williams) surrounding returning big man Malachi Moreno? That should work. Kentucky wouldn’t be the SEC favorite, but that’s absolutely a top-25 roster with a chance to mesh into something dangerous.
Cons: Momcilovic would be putting a lot of faith into a situation with very few true known commodities. There are a lot of “ifs” with this current Kentucky roster. If Wilkins can transition from Furman seamlessly into the ultra-physical SEC, if Diallo can clean up some of his decision-making, if Moreno can take that Year 2 jump, if Kam Williams or Braydon Hawthorne turn potential into legit production, et cetera. You get the picture. Kentucky has the war chest to deliver the biggest offer, but there’s some projection involved here that could raise the risk.
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Arizona
Pros: Arizona has a very high floor with imposing center Motiejus Krivas returning, along with defensive-minded wing Ivan Kharchenkov and a host of impressive newcomers, headlined by five-star freshman guard Caleb Holt and transfers Derek Dixon (from UNC) and JJ Mandaquit (from Washington). Momcilovic would provide the high-end shooting that this Arizona roster so desperately needs. You know a Tommy Lloyd-coached team is going to rebound and run, and both Mandaquit and Dixon are unselfish point guards who love to push the pace and create open transition 3s. That’s money in the bank for Momcilovic. Plus, Kharchenkov
Arizona would have a chance to chase a second-straight Final Four, and Momcilovic’s shot-making would be the cherry on top of the inevitable defense, rebounding and paint dominance.
Cons: There are not many basketball reasons to turn down Arizona. There’s a lot to like about this fit, but is the money close? Arizona will have some room in the budget after Koa Peat chose to stay in the 2026 NBA Draft, but retaining Krivas was not cheap. Arizona does not need to be the highest offer to land Momcilovic, though.
Louisville
Pros: As Flory Bidunga aptly told CBS Sports at the NBA Draft Combine, Louisville is “trying to build a superteam.” Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad and Milan Momcilovic are three of the most proven assets in the transfer portal. Bidunga is a whale of a defender, especially on the perimeter. Shelstad is a whale of a scorer. Momcilovic is a whale of a shooter. Add in Karter Knox, Alvaro Folgueiras, De’Shayne Montgomery, Obinna Ekezie Jr. and Adrian Wooley, and the Cardinals have an eight-man rotation that can really hoop. Louisville is desperate to get back to winning on the biggest of stages, and Momcilovic would be a major catalyst for a Pat Kelsey-led offense that will get ’em up from downtown. Kelsey’s offense has ranked inside the top-20 in 3-point rate in each of the past four seasons.
Cons: Does Louisville have anyone who walks on the floor trying to get others involved? For long stretches of Shelstad’s career, he’s been a scorer first, passer second. Knox has 63 assists and 63 turnovers in two seasons. Folgueiras has shown flashes of brilliance as a playmaker, but he won’t be the fulcrum of this team. Montgomery and Wooley are more downhill slashers looking to create their own buckets, too. Momcilovic, at minimum, is going to be an expert spacer who creates room for Louisville’s talented roster to cook, but there’s a risk of being iced out more than a few times.
Texas Tech
Pros: Grant McCasland is a chameleon who will jimmy-rig his team to win in a ton of ways. Patience has been vital during this Texas Tech offseason, but Momcilovic would certainly be a floor-raising addition and give the Red Raiders plenty of offensive firepower paired with Hofstra pick-and-roll maestro Cruz Davis, dynamic freshman DaKari Spear and bucket-getting UNLV transfer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. Assuming Texas Tech lands its international center of choice and maybe big man JT Toppin can return at some point from a torn ACL suffered last February, the Red Raiders would be cooking with gas … eventually.
Cons: There’s no guarantee that Toppin is healthy and can return in time to make a serious push toward a Final Four. If you’re entertaining transferring to Texas Tech, why wouldn’t you also mull a return to Iowa State? Toss out the money. From a pure basketball perspective, you could make a case that Iowa State’s 2026-27 roster with Momcilovic has a higher ceiling than what it would look like at Texas Tech.
