When Mark Pope took over as Kentucky’s head coach, he made one thing abundantly clear: the Wildcats were going to become one of the most dangerous offensive teams in college basketball. His philosophy revolves around pace, spacing, and elite three-point shooting. While flashes of that system were evident last season, Kentucky never quite reached the level Pope envisioned from beyond the arc.
Now, everything could be about to change.
The arrival of Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic has given Kentucky something it lacked a season ago—arguably the most lethal shooter in all of college basketball. And after revealing the ambitious challenge Pope has given him, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Wildcats aren’t just trying to improve next season.
They’re aiming to rewrite history.
Kentucky Needed an Elite Shooter
Last season, Kentucky shot just 34.1 percent from three-point range as a team. While respectable, those numbers simply weren’t good enough for an offense designed around creating and knocking down perimeter shots.
For a coach like Mark Pope, three-point shooting isn’t merely an added weapon.
It’s the foundation of everything.
Every possession is designed to stretch defenses, create open looks, and punish teams that fail to rotate quickly enough. Without elite shooting, the offense simply can’t reach its maximum potential.
Recognizing that weakness, Pope attacked the transfer portal with one priority above all others.
Find a game-changing shooter.
He may have found the best one available.
The Nation’s Best Shooter Arrives in Lexington
Momcilovic arrives in Lexington after a spectacular season at Iowa State.
The talented forward averaged 16.9 points per game while shooting an astonishing 48.7 percent from beyond the three-point line on 7.5 attempts per game. Those aren’t just impressive numbers—they’re elite by any standard.
Few players in college basketball combine volume and efficiency the way Momcilovic does.
Opposing defenses already know what he wants to do.
They simply struggle to stop it.
Now imagine that shooting ability within Mark Pope’s offensive system—a system specifically designed to generate open three-point opportunities every single game.
It’s a frightening thought for the rest of college basketball.
Mark Pope Doesn’t Want Higher Accuracy…
Perhaps the biggest surprise came when Momcilovic recently appeared on the UK Sports Network and shared a fascinating conversation with his new head coach.
Most coaches would celebrate a player shooting nearly 49 percent from three.
Mark Pope had a different reaction.
According to Momcilovic, Pope told him he actually doesn’t want him to shoot 48 percent this season.
Why?
Because that would likely mean he wasn’t shooting enough.
Instead, Pope wants him taking around ten three-point attempts every game, even if that causes his shooting percentage to decline slightly.
It’s a philosophy that perfectly captures how modern basketball has evolved.
Volume matters.
If one of the country’s greatest shooters is passing up shots to protect his percentage, the offense loses one of its biggest advantages.
Pope doesn’t want caution.
He wants confidence.
He wants aggression.
He wants Momcilovic firing whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Chasing Kentucky History
Momcilovic didn’t hesitate when discussing his personal goal.
He admitted he isn’t even sure what Kentucky’s single-season three-point record is.
But he hopes to own it by the end of the year.
That statement immediately caught the attention of Big Blue Nation.
Kentucky has produced countless NBA stars, All-Americans, and legendary scorers throughout its rich basketball history.
Breaking any offensive record in Lexington is no small accomplishment.
Yet Momcilovic isn’t afraid to dream big.
And based on his track record, his goal might be far more realistic than many realize.
Jodie Meeks’ Legendary Record
The current Kentucky record for most three-pointers made in a single season belongs to Jodie Meeks, who buried 117 three-pointers during the unforgettable 2008-09 campaign.
That record has stood for years despite countless great shooters wearing Kentucky blue.
Many believed it would remain untouched for quite some time.
Then Momcilovic entered the picture.
Last season alone…
He knocked down 136 three-pointers.
Think about that for a moment.
If he simply repeats what he accomplished at Iowa State, he would surpass Meeks’ legendary mark by 19 made three-pointers.
And that’s before considering Mark Pope wants him taking even more shots.
The possibility suddenly feels very real.
Pope Wants Even More
One detail from Momcilovic’s interview may excite Kentucky fans more than anything else.
Pope doesn’t simply want him shooting more efficiently.
He wants more attempts.
Much more.
Nearly ten threes every game.
That’s an extraordinary green light.
It shows the level of trust Pope already has in his newest star.
Few players anywhere in America receive that kind of freedom.
Even fewer have earned it.
Momcilovic has.
And if he maintains anything close to last season’s efficiency while increasing his attempts, Kentucky’s offense could become one of the most explosive in recent memory.
Defenses Have an Impossible Choice
What makes Momcilovic especially dangerous isn’t simply his shooting.
It’s the problems his presence creates for every opposing defense.
Leave him open…
He’ll make you pay.
Close out too aggressively…
Kentucky’s talented guards can attack the lane.
Double-team him…
Someone else gets an uncontested look.
That is exactly the spacing Mark Pope wants.
Elite shooters don’t just score points.
They transform entire offenses.
Every possession becomes easier because defenders are forced to respect shooters several feet beyond the three-point line.
That gravity changes everything.
Following Koby Brea’s Success
During Pope’s first season, Koby Brea established himself as Kentucky’s most dangerous perimeter shooter.
He connected on 93 three-pointers, giving the Wildcats a dependable offensive weapon throughout the year.
That total was impressive.
Momcilovic now has a legitimate opportunity to shatter it.
Considering he already made 136 threes last season at Iowa State, expectations are understandably sky-high.
Kentucky fans have every reason to believe they may be watching one of the greatest shooting seasons in program history.
Could He Chase NCAA History Too?
Breaking Kentucky’s record would already cement Momcilovic’s place in Wildcats history.
But what if he doesn’t stop there?
The NCAA single-season record for made three-pointers sits at 162.
It’s an incredibly difficult milestone to reach.
Yet when you consider Pope’s offensive philosophy, Kentucky’s expected pace, and Momcilovic’s willingness to fire from deep, the possibility becomes impossible to ignore.
No one is predicting it will happen.
But for perhaps the first time in years, there is a player entering the season with a realistic path to making a serious run at that number.
If Kentucky plays deep into March Madness, every additional game becomes another opportunity to climb closer.
Expectations Are Sky High
With an improved roster, experienced veterans, elite transfers, and one of college basketball’s brightest offensive minds leading the program, expectations surrounding Kentucky continue to grow.
Momcilovic represents more than just another talented addition.
He symbolizes the next evolution of Mark Pope’s vision.
A team built around relentless ball movement.
Fearless shooting.
And constant offensive pressure.
If everything comes together, the Wildcats won’t simply be entertaining.
They’ll be one of the most difficult teams in America to defend.
Big Blue Nation Has Every Reason to Believe
Championship-caliber teams usually possess something special—one player capable of changing games with a single hot streak.
Kentucky may have found exactly that in Milan Momcilovic.
His confidence is evident.
His shooting ability is unquestioned.
His coach has given him complete freedom.
And now, one historic record stands directly in his path.
Whether he ultimately breaks Jodie Meeks’ long-standing mark remains to be seen, but one thing is already becoming clear.
Momcilovic isn’t coming to Lexington just to fit into Kentucky’s tradition.
He’s coming to leave his own legacy.
If Mark Pope’s vision becomes reality, Big Blue Nation may witness one of the greatest shooting seasons the program has ever seen
and perhaps one that will be talked about for generations. Before the first ball is tipped, one message has already been sent to the rest of college basketball:
