Kentucky watches stock-rising sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic
Four-star forward Milan Momcilovic is arguably the biggest (and quickest) stock-riser in the class of 2023, and he’s got obvious connections to the Kentucky basketball program.
The 6-foot-8 forward suits up for Team Herro on the Nike EYBL circuit, a team sponsored by former Kentucky standout Tyler Herro and coached by the current Miami Heat guard’s father, Chris Herro. Herro’s little brother, Austin, is also Momcilovic’s teammate on the 17U squad.
“He was a killer back in high school, Kentucky, now in the NBA. He’s unbelievable,” Momcilovic said of Herro during EYBL Session II this past weekend in Indianapolis. “Very cool guy, the whole family is good. It’s a very cool thing.”
A native of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, Momcilovic thrived locally at the high school level this past season, averaging 18.1 points on 44 percent from three to go with 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest. His goal now is to prove he can do it on the national level and cement his status as one of the top recruits in the class of 2023.
“There’s not much coverage in Wisconsin. It’s a small town,” Momcilovic said. “Now playing at the EYBL, this is where I really show it. We were back-to-back state champs at our high school, and now, this is where I get to show it.”
Show it, he is. Through two sessions of play and eight total games, the 6-foot-8 wing is averaging 18.5 points per contest, good for tenth overall on the circuit. He’s had scoring outputs of 31, 25, 24, 18, 16, 13, 11 and 10 points, never dipping below the double-digit mark.
The buzz is growing.
“It feels pretty good,” Momcilovic told KSR. “Not many people knew about me back then, but now they kind of know about me. It’s kind of cool.”
It’s a buzz that brought out high-profile coaches from all over the country to watch him play. Among them? Kentucky’s John Calipari, who watched Momcilovic play throughout the weekend in Indianapolis.
Direct contact hasn’t yet been made, but Kentucky is picking up clear interest and maintaining contact with his coach, Chris Herro — not a bad connection to have. And yes, it’s a school that certainly stands out.
“Not yet, they haven’t talked to me yet,” he said. “… Yes, for sure (I’m interested). Tyler Herro went there, his dad’s my coach, obviously. He’s pulling for me and he’s talking to Coach John Calipari.”
High-profile schools are starting to ramp up interest, but other programs have a clear head start on the dynamic scorer from Wisconsin.
“Iowa State, they’re making me their top priority,” Momcilovic said. “They come down to my home, Pewaukee. They’ve come down six times, their head coach. They’re pressing hard. Minnesota, Marquette — obviously they’re from home. Creighton, Northwestern, Xavier, those are offers I’ve already picked up. UCLA and Virginia, they’re definitely getting in the mix, their coaches are talking to me.”
In terms of visits this summer, none are planned, but he’s open to a variety of options. Whoever prioritizes the four-star scorer, he’s open to returning the interest.
“I think UCLA would be a cool place to go, maybe Virginia,” he said. “A couple of offers I just got, if they ask, I’d go on official visits there. Soon I’m going to cut down my list, maybe next month. We’ll see how it goes and what new offers come to me. We’ll see what happens.”
Things are just starting to pick up in his recruitment, especially as his stock continues to explode. He feels he’s got a versatile game that’s ready-made for the highest level of college basketball.
“I can do it all,” Momcilovic told KSR. “I’ve got a good feel for the game. I can dribble, pass, shoot, post up, kick out and shoot the three. I like my post fades, I think that’s one of the strong suits of my game. Just getting in the post and fading away. That’s what I do.”
Most importantly, he’s doing it against elite competition. He dominated against top-five prospect Ron Holland during EYBL Session I, then put up numbers against top-ten prospect Justin Edwards in Session II.
“I love playing in big games,” he added. “Last EYBL (session) I played Ron Holland, one of the top guys in the nation. I played pretty well against him. I know that’s how you get noticed, you’ve got to play big against big-time recruits. … Just competing, I’m always competing and playing as hard as I can. Hopefully the best comes out of it.”
His game is unique, a blend of size, skill, shooting and finesse. He’s comfortable bringing the ball up the floor and pulling up from three, but also crafty in getting to his spots for mid-range and inside scoring opportunities. There’s still work to be done to become the dynamic three-level scoring wing he hopes to become, but he’s getting there.
“I really never found a good NBA comparison for me,” Momcilovic told KSR. “I like Dirk (Nowitzki), Brandon Ingram, and then I want to get a little Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum in my game. That will get me to the next level.
“… I still have to work on my ball-handling skills and obviously my strength and athleticism. Those three things will be key, then I’ll be fine.”
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