Kentucky basketball fans have already seen what Milan Momcilovic can do from beyond the three-point line, but what Mark Pope revealed after the Wildcats’ exhibition victory over Little Rock suggests there could be much more to come. The talented transfer forward delivered an impressive debut at Rupp Arena, yet his biggest contribution to Kentucky’s offense might not be limited to the shots he makes. With opponents forced to pay extra attention to his shooting, could Momcilovic become the player who unlocks an entirely different dimension of Pope’s offense?
The Wildcats opened their exhibition campaign with a convincing 69-49 victory over Little Rock on Friday night, October 16, at Rupp Arena. Although the final score was encouraging, the performance also exposed some offensive issues that Kentucky must address before the regular season begins.
Momcilovic, however, provided one of the biggest reasons for optimism.
The 6-foot-9 forward finished with a game-high 16 points, shooting five of nine from the field and four of seven from three-point range. His performance offered an early glimpse of why Pope prioritized bringing him to Lexington through the transfer portal.
But there was something particularly interesting about the way Momcilovic influenced the game. His shooting was spectacular, yet Pope believes his presence can create opportunities for the entire team, even when he is not the player finishing the possession.
That could be the development Kentucky fans need to watch as the Wildcats continue preparing for the new season.
MOMCILOVIC SHOWS WHY HE COULD BE A DIFFERENCE-MAKER
Momcilovic wasted little time demonstrating the shooting ability that made him such an attractive addition to Kentucky’s roster.
During the first half, he used a shot fake to deceive a defender, stepped to his left and confidently released a three-pointer. Later, he knocked down another long-range shot from the left wing despite two Little Rock defenders attempting to contest it.
Then came the moment that arguably provided the night’s most memorable highlight.
After recording a steal, Momcilovic pushed the ball forward, executed a behind-the-back dribble near midcourt and pulled up for a transition three-pointer. It was the kind of play that demonstrated both his confidence and his ability to create a shot without needing a perfectly designed offensive possession.
Little Rock coach Travis Ford understood the challenge his team faced.
“Very hard to guard because he can get off his shot in so many ways, and he gets it off quickly at 6-9,” Ford said.
That combination of height, shooting range and a quick release makes Momcilovic a difficult matchup. Defenders cannot simply give him space beyond the arc, but aggressively challenging him can create opportunities for Kentucky’s other offensive players.
And that is where the bigger story begins.
POPE REVEALS WHY MOMCILOVIC’S IMPACT COULD GO BEYOND SCORING
After the exhibition victory, Pope discussed an important element of Momcilovic’s game: the attention he attracts from opposing defenses.
In basketball, this effect is often described as offensive gravity. When a player is such a dangerous shooting threat that defenders must follow him closely, space opens elsewhere on the court.
For Kentucky, that could be especially valuable when Momcilovic moves around screens set by the team’s big men.
Imagine an opposing center being forced to leave the paint to contest Momcilovic on the perimeter. That movement could create an opening for Kentucky’s big man to roll toward the basket, giving the ball handler an opportunity to deliver a pass for an easier scoring chance.
In other situations, Momcilovic’s positioning could create additional room for drives or force opponents to make difficult defensive rotations.
Pope believes those possibilities will become increasingly important as the Wildcats develop better chemistry.
“His gravity is real there, too,” Pope said. “So as the guys know him more and more, it’s gonna get increasingly fun for them to play with him.”
That statement offers an important insight into Kentucky’s offensive potential. The Wildcats do not necessarily need Momcilovic to score on every possession to benefit from his presence.
His ability to pull defenders away from other players could become just as valuable as the three-pointers he makes.
However, turning that potential into consistent production will require time, communication and better offensive execution.
KENTUCKY’S OFFENSE STILL NEEDS TO FIND ITS RHYTHM
Despite the comfortable victory, Pope acknowledged that Kentucky’s offense was not where he wanted it to be.
The coach described the Wildcats as “sticky” offensively, pointing to possessions in which the ball remained in one player’s hands for too long or stayed on one side of the floor without enough movement.
That problem was particularly noticeable during the first half.
Kentucky deliberately limited its offensive approach to seven actions for the exhibition opener. Even with that simplified system, the players still needed to improve their timing, movement and understanding of how to create better opportunities.
The encouraging part is that the team has time to work through those issues.
An exhibition game provides coaches with an opportunity to evaluate combinations, identify weaknesses and determine which offensive concepts work best for their personnel.
For Pope, one of the major priorities will be finding ways to get Momcilovic involved more consistently while ensuring that the rest of the team remains active.
The forward attempted seven three-pointers in 31 minutes against Little Rock. Although he made four of them, he admitted that he would have liked to take more.
His goal for the regular season is to attempt double-digit three-pointers per game.
That is an ambitious target, but it reflects the confidence he has in his ability to stretch defenses. Achieving it will depend on Kentucky’s ability to create the right opportunities rather than forcing shots simply to increase his attempts.
If the Wildcats improve their ball movement and develop more effective screening actions, Momcilovic could find himself receiving the ball in better positions to shoot.
And when defenses begin overreacting to his presence, Kentucky must be ready to punish them elsewhere.
A NEW DIMENSION: MOMCILOVIC COULD ALSO BECOME A THREAT INSIDE
There is another detail from Pope’s postgame comments that deserves attention.
Kentucky’s coaching staff plans to feature Momcilovic in the post more frequently as the team continues developing its offensive system.
That approach could make him more difficult to defend because opponents would have to prepare for more than his perimeter shooting.
Pope also highlighted Momcilovic’s ability to use a move he calls a “Barkley.” The technique involves backing a weaker defender down from the three-point line toward the paint, creating an opportunity to score or find an open teammate.
If Momcilovic can consistently exploit mismatches in those situations, Kentucky could have another way to generate offense when its perimeter shooting is not falling.
His cutting ability is also an area of development. Learning when to move without the ball and how to recognize defensive openings could help him become a more complete offensive player.
The combination of outside shooting, post play and improved movement would give Pope several options for deploying him.
More importantly, it could prevent opposing teams from building their entire defensive strategy around stopping his three-point shot.
MOMCILOVIC ALSO WANTS TO IMPROVE HIS REBOUNDING
While the shooting understandably attracted most of the attention, Momcilovic also demonstrated a willingness to improve other parts of his game.
The forward collected seven rebounds against Little Rock, one shy of his career high in a game that counts.
He was particularly motivated to improve after averaging three rebounds per game during each of his first three college seasons.
“I mean, I’m just trying not to average three rebounds again this year,” Momcilovic said. “My first three years, three rebounds. So hopefully this year it’s a little more than that.”
Pope praised his effort on the glass, suggesting that the coaching staff appreciated the additional contribution.
For Kentucky, stronger rebounding from Momcilovic could become important when the Wildcats face opponents capable of matching their perimeter talent.
His height gives him an opportunity to contribute on the boards, while improved rebounding could help Kentucky finish defensive possessions and create additional offensive opportunities.
The goal is not simply to turn him into a better shooter. It is to help him become a more complete player who can influence the game in several different ways.
WHAT COMES NEXT FOR KENTUCKY?
Kentucky’s 69-49 victory over Little Rock offered encouraging signs, particularly on the defensive end.
The Wildcats held their opponents to 31% shooting, scored 18 points off turnovers, recorded eight blocked shots and finished with nine steals. Pope also pointed to the team’s 32 deflections as evidence of its defensive activity and length.
Nevertheless, the coach believes the Wildcats have considerably more potential to unlock.
The same applies offensively, where better ball movement, improved spacing and a clearer understanding of Momcilovic’s strengths could help the team become more dangerous.
The important question is how quickly those pieces will come together.
Momcilovic has already demonstrated that he can make difficult shots and stretch the floor. What remains to be seen is how effectively Kentucky can use his shooting threat to create easier opportunities for everyone else.
If the Wildcats learn to take advantage of the attention he attracts, their offense could become much more difficult to predict.
Opponents will have to decide whether to stay close to Momcilovic on the perimeter, protect the paint or risk leaving another Kentucky player open. Those decisions could give Pope several ways to attack different defensive schemes.
Of course, one exhibition performance does not guarantee that everything will work immediately. Kentucky still has to develop its offensive chemistry and prove that it can execute consistently against tougher competition.
But Momcilovic’s debut provided a promising starting point.
He scored 16 points, knocked down four three-pointers, grabbed seven rebounds and produced one of the night’s most exciting highlights. More importantly, Pope’s comments suggested that the coaching staff sees opportunities to use him in ways that extend beyond his shooting.
For Big Blue Nation, that could be the most intriguing takeaway from the exhibition opener.
Kentucky’s offense still has work to do, but the Wildcats may already have one of the ingredients needed to take a significant step forward. As Momcilovic becomes more comfortable with his teammates and Pope’s system, his influence could grow beyond the numbers on the scoreboard.
The real test will come when the regular season begins and Kentucky faces defenses that are better prepared to challenge its offensive weapons.
Until then, one question remains: if Momcilovic can already create this much trouble for opposing defenses, what could Kentucky’s offense look like once Pope figures out how to use him to his full potential?
