LEXINGTON — Milan Momcilovic withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to college for his senior season. He made the decision after testing the professional waters and will now enter the NCAA transfer portal for the 2026–27 season.

Momcilovic played three seasons at Iowa State, starting 101 of the 102 games he appeared in. In the 2025–26 season, he averaged 16.9 points per game while shooting 50.6% from the field and 48.6% from three-point range. He made 136 three-pointers during the season, the most in the nation, and was named to the All-Big 12 Team.

Momcilovic is the No. 2-rated player in the 2026 NCAA transfer portal cycle. Kentucky, Louisville, St. John's, Texas Tech, and Arizona are among the schools pursuing him. Kentucky is considered the current leader in his recruitment and has financial resources available for NIL offers after not signing top high school prospect Tyran Stokes and passing on large offers to other transfer targets.

Louisville conducted a Zoom meeting with Momcilovic, and its NIL offer is reportedly slightly less than Kentucky’s. Arizona’s offer is also less than Kentucky’s. UCLA was previously mentioned as a potential destination but is not actively in the mix.

At the NBA Draft Combine, Momcilovic said, "I've been in college for three years, and I know what to ask and what to look for. I don't need to go on a visit or anything. I can probably choose pretty quickly. Also, there aren't a lot of schools that still have a lot of money or a lot of roster spots, so it's not like I'm choosing between 15 schools, it's going to be three or four."

Momcilovic indicated he plans to play only one more season in college, despite being eligible for a fifth year under the new 5-in-5 rule. He is expected to be one of the highest-paid players in college basketball next season, with a potential NIL deal exceeding $7 million. Radio host Matt Jones reported, "Kentucky has done all it can so now it’s just whether Milan wants to play here."