Kentucky closes with top-five portal class following Milan Momcilovic’s commitment

Good things happen when you add the best shooter in college basketball at the 11th hour, right? Just days before the Kentucky Wildcats were set to arrive on campus for summer workouts, Mark Pope pulled the ultimate rabbit out of his hat in the form of Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic — the perfect bow to tie up the rest of his roster.

It was a solid group up to that point, but Momcilovic turned it into a potential contender, depending on health and the development of some other wildcards. At minimum, though, it just about guaranteed the Wildcats won’t be struggling to stay afloat all season.

Just how much of a needle-mover was the addition? ESPN believes Kentucky closed out with a top-five transfer portal class, with Momcilovic joining the likes of Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins, plus complementary pieces such as Justin McBride, Jerone Morton and Franck Kepnang. The Cats moved from unranked to No. 17 in the country in the outlet’s way-too-early top 25 released last week, and now, they jumped up to No. 4 overall in the portal rankings.

“Much like Momcilovic’s commitment pushed Kentucky comfortably into the top 25 nationally, his addition also landed Mark Pope and the Wildcats in these transfer class rankings,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote. “Prior to his signing, Kentucky’s portal work was headlined by the dynamic backcourt of Wilkins and Diallo. Both prefer to play with the ball in their hands, but should be an exciting duo to watch develop. Momcilovic, however, is now the focal point — he was the best shooter in the country last season at Iowa State and should lead Kentucky in scoring. McBride offers a different dimension at forward, while Kepnang offers depth with high-major experience.”

Tennessee sits atop the list at No. 1 overall, led by the additions of Wake Forest’s Juke Harris, Notre Dame’s Jalen Haralson and VCU’s Terrence Hill Jr. From there, it’s Louisville at No. 2 and Texas at No. 3, followed by Kentucky at No. 4 and St. John’s at No. 5. Indiana (No. 6), Miami (FL) (No. 7), North Carolina (No. 8), Duke (No. 9) and Michigan (No. 10) round out the top 10.

ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 is led by Florida at No. 1, Duke at No. 2, Michigan at No. 3, Illinois at No. 4 and UConn at No. 5.

1. Florida
2. Duke
3. Michigan
4. Illinois
5. UConn
6. Tennessee
7. St. John’s
8. Michigan State
9. Texas
10. Arizona
11. Arkansas
12. USC
13. Louisville
14. Virginia
15. Alabama
16. Houston
17. Kentucky
18. Gonzaga
19. Vanderbilt
20. Miami (FL)
21. Missouri
22. Nebraska
23. Kansas
24. Iowa State
25. North Carolina

Still not where Kentucky needs to be, but trending back in the right direction following an undeniably strong offseason for Mark Pope.