Momcilovic Named to Naismith Trophy Watch List
Kentucky senior sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic is among 50 players on the preseason Naismith Trophy watch list.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Basketball
Kentucky senior Milan Momcilovic was named to the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy, the award honoring the nation's top college basketball player, on the eve of the Wildcats' season opener against Manhattan. The Iowa State transfer led the country in made three-pointers last season with 136 and in three-point percentage at 48.7%.
Why it matters
The selection places Momcilovic among the top candidates for the nation's most prestigious player honor entering the season. For Kentucky fans, it signals that the team's perimeter scoring threat is widely recognized heading into a new campaign.
Momcilovic led the country in total three-pointers made last season with 136 and in three-point percentage at 48.7%, and he totaled 260 threes over three years at Iowa State, second most in program history. His exhibition scoring of 16.7 points per game came on 9-of-20 three-point shooting, though the exhibition sample is only three games.
The players
Milan Momcilovic
Kentucky's senior sharpshooter and an Iowa State transfer who led the nation in made three-pointers last season.
Naismith Trophy
An annual award recognizing the top men's college basketball player in the United States, selected from a preseason watch list of candidates.
The details
Momcilovic was named to the Naismith Trophy preseason watch list, which includes 50 players, 15 of them from the SEC. He is Kentucky's senior sharpshooter and an Iowa State transfer who also averaged 5.7 rebounds and shot 11-of-11 from the free-throw line in exhibition play.
Timeline
• Nov. 2, 2026: Momcilovic named to the Naismith Trophy preseason watch list, on the eve of Kentucky's season opener against Manhattan.
Season Trajectory
Momcilovic's preseason recognition places him among the national candidates whose performance will shape the top of the college basketball player-of-the-year race this season. His record-setting three-point output last year makes him a central figure for a Kentucky team looking to establish perimeter scoring early.
Momcilovic's watch-list status makes him a key player to track for fantasy rosters and Kentucky game-day viewing, particularly given his high volume of made threes. His consistency from deep is the main factor fans and fantasy managers will watch as the season opens.
The takeaway
Momcilovic's elite three-point production has made him one of the most dangerous perimeter scorers in the country, and his preseason recognition sets a high bar for the season ahead.
What happens next
Kentucky opens its season against Manhattan, the first regular-season test for Momcilovic following the watch-list announcement.
Further reading
For more on the Wildcats' roster and season outlook, see Kentucky Basketball.
