Kentucky Basketball just got the update everyone’s been waiting for, and believe me, it’s a huge sigh of relief. Head coach Mark Pope, speaking at the annual Media Day on Monday, dropped the biggest news: Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic is expected to be cleared for full practice *next week*. This kid is seriously close to being back on the court for the Cats.
The Injury Saga: From “Broken” to Almost Back
Man, it was a rough summer. Momcilovic, this 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward, went down with a severely jammed finger on his shooting hand. Seriously, it was so bad there were even reports flying around that it was a broken finger at one point. Can you imagine the panic? Your best shooter with a broken shooting hand? Yikes. He’s been sidelined for a bit, obviously, but Kentucky did post a picture last week that showed him seemingly back at practice. Still, he wasn’t fully cleared for *all* activities. But now, Pope’s announcement changes everything. Getting him back to full practice next week means we are SO close to seeing him rip it up.
Why Milan Momcilovic’s Return Is So Important for the Cats
We’re talking about a legitimate bucket-getter here. Over the last two seasons, Milan Momcilovic has been the *best* 3-point shooter in college basketball. Let that sink in. The best! Kentucky is absolutely banking on that insane accuracy continuing in Lexington. Just last season, he was dropping an average of 16.9 points per game on a ridiculous 50.6% shooting from the field. And from deep? He was hitting 48.7% on 7.5 attempts per game. Plus, he grabbed 3.1 rebounds and dished out one assist per game. That kind of offensive firepower, especially from beyond the arc, is exactly what Kentucky needs.
What’s Next for the Big Man?
So, what’s the roadmap now that he’s expected to be cleared? If all goes well, we could see Momcilovic in action when Kentucky’s exhibition season kicks off against Little Rock on October 16. And then, the real deal: regular-season play starts November 3 against Manhattan. Getting him fully healthy and integrated before those games is massive. We need him ready to rock. The anticipation for this guy to finally unleash his shooting prowess is real. Let’s get him healthy, get him practicing, and get him draining those threes!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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