Milan Momcilovic Featured on NABC Player of the Year Watch List
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball forward Milan Momcilovic was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division I Player of the Year preseason watch list on Thursday.
The 2027 NABC Division I Player of the Year will be selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches at the conclusion of the regular season. The award winner will be announced the week of the 2027 Men’s Final Four. The honor has been presented every season since 1974-75 and is the only national player of the year honor selected by the sport’s head coaches. Oscar Tshiebwe became the first Kentucky men’s basketball player to win the award in 2022.
In all, Momcilovic is one of 20 players on the initial watch list and one of six representatives from the Southeastern Conference.
Widely considered one of the top transfers of the offseason, Momcilovic arrives in Lexington coming off a stellar junior year at Iowa State. The 6-foot-9 forward led the country in both total 3-pointers made (136) and 3-point field goal percentage (48.7%) on his way to averaging a career-high 16.9 points per game. Momcilovic was a Second Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Tournament Team selection, helping the Cyclones to a 29-8 overall record and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Last season, Momcilovic scored in double figures 29 times, including 14 games with 20 or more points. His 136 made 3s ranked second all-time in Big 12 single-season history, while also setting an Iowa State program record. During his three years in Ames, Momcilovic connected on 260 3-pointers in total, ranking him tied for the second-most in program history. For his career, Momcilovic has made 101 starts and appeared in 102 contests while averaging 13.2 points per game along with 3.2 rebounds. He is a career 42.9% shooter from beyond the arc.
In UK’s three exhibition games this season, Momcilovic is leading the team with an average of 16.7 points per game. The native of Pewaukee, Wisconsin is 9-of-20 (.450) from 3-point range and 15-of-31 (.484) from the field overall. Momcilovic has also averaged 5.7 rebounds per game and is a perfect 11-of-11 from the foul line.
Preseason honors have continued to roll in for Momcilovic ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. He has been named a preseason All-American by various outlets, including CBS Sports, 247 Sports and Sports Illustrated, as well as selected to the preseason watch list for the Julius Erving Award, and named a preseason All-SEC selection by both the coaches and media.
Kentucky will open the regular season on Nov. 3 against Manhattan. Tip time is set for 7 p.m. inside Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, with the game airing on SEC Network+.
2027 NABC Division I Player of the Year – Preseason Watch List
Milan Momcilovic – Kentucky
Flory Bidunga – Louisville
John Blackwell – Duke
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje – Duke
Elliot Cadeau – Michigan
Rueben Chinyelu – Florida
Alex Condon – Florida
Thijs De Ridder – Virginia
Silas Demary Jr. – Uconn
Jeremy Fears Jr. – Michigan State
Juke Harris – Tennessee
Thomas Haugh – Florida
Motiejus Krivas – Arizona
David Mirkovic – Illinois
Braylon Mullins – Uconn
Pryce Sandfort – Nebraska
Tyran Stokes – Kansas
Tyler Tanner – Vanderbilt
JT Toppin – Texas Tech
Robert Wright III – BYU
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
