Lead Story: Momcilovic Commitment Reshapes Kentucky's 2026-27 Outlook
Iowa State transfer forward Milan Momcilovic committed to Kentucky late Monday night after withdrawing from the NBA Draft, instantly transforming the Wildcats from a fringe ranked team into a national contender entering the 2026-27 season. Mark Pope had spent the offseason emphasizing perimeter shooting, and Momcilovic, regarded as one of the country's premier shooters, gives Kentucky exactly the floor-spacing star it lacked.
The ripple effect across national rankings was immediate. ESPN's Jeff Borzello moved Kentucky from unranked to No. 17 after the addition, while CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, who previously left the Wildcats outside his "Rothstein 45," jumped them to No. 16 nationally and No. 5 in the SEC. Bart Torvik's projections climbed 22 spots to No. 23, and Evan Miyakawa's analytics now slot Kentucky as a potential top-15 team.
Returning center Malachi Moreno, who averaged 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman, endorsed the fit at a Great Crossing Basketball camp this week. "He was the best shooter in the country last year, he fits Pope's offense perfectly," Moreno told Nick Lazaroff of BBN Tonight. "We're going to be dangerous." With Moreno, Kam Williams and Brayden Hawthorne also retained, Kentucky's projected starting five of Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Momcilovic, Ousmane N'Diaye and Moreno gives Pope his deepest roster yet in Lexington.
Quick Hits
- Border War gets a date. Missouri and Kansas will meet at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Dec. 6, the final scheduled clash of the six-game series, after the Jayhawks released their 2026-27 nonconference schedule. Missouri has yet to announce its full slate but has confirmed matchups with Creighton, Saint Louis and Kansas.
- SEC and Big Ten balk at federal bill. The two conferences issued a joint statement declining to support the current version of a bipartisan bill aimed at regulating college sports, per ESPN, signaling friction over how the industry should be governed in the NIL era.
- Tennessee secures its rotation. Per VolQuest, the Volunteers retained pitchers Cam Appenzeller and Landon Mack for 2027. Mack started 12 games last season, posting a 4.67 ERA with 77 strikeouts over 61.2 innings before arm soreness ended his year; Appenzeller logged a 4.76 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 56.2 innings as a true freshman.
- Regional round delivers surprises. NCAA.com rounded up 12 of the most shocking statistics from the 2026 DI baseball tournament regionals, which trimmed the field to 16 surviving teams.
- Steed earns Freshman All-America honors. The Enterprise, Alabama, native was named to the NCAA Division I Freshman All-America team by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Portal Watch
The college baseball transfer portal opened Monday and SEC rosters are already shifting. Missouri saw multiple Tigers enter, including Blaize Ward, Kaden Peer and redshirt outfielder Tyler Macon, who departs with two years of eligibility remaining after three seasons in Columbia. Tennessee, meanwhile, played defense and won, keeping Appenzeller and Mack in Knoxville to anchor two-thirds of its 2027 weekend rotation. No additional SEC portal moves were reported in the last 12 hours.
Recruiting Buzz
Missouri added to its 2027 class with a verbal pledge from three-star offensive tackle Jack Marquard of Lakewood, Ohio. The commitment pushes the Tigers to 12 total pledges in the cycle as they continue to build along the offensive line.
Games to Watch
No SEC games are scheduled today. On the championship stage, Vanderbilt's run ended in the quarterfinals as the No. 11 Commodores fell 3-2 to No. 12 Arizona at the 2026 NCAA Championship, while Florida flipped two matches in a late rally but came up just short, dropping a 3-2 decision to Oklahoma State in the National Championship quarterfinals.
