No team wants to rely on the NCAA Transfer Portal year in and year out. And while the Kansas Jayhawks are enlisting one of the nation’s best freshman classes, comprising five-star guard Taylen Kinney, four-star center Davion Adkins, four-star wing Trent Perry, and four-star shooting guard Luke Barnett, unless the Jayhawks want an extremely youthful lineup next season, they will have to do a fair bit of shaking up in the transfer portal.
As it stands, while Kansas is in the process of hosting several prospects over the coming days, there is one player who could immediately shift the Jayhawks’ fortunes for next season: Milan Momcilovic.
Where does Momcilovic currently stand
Momcilovic simultaneously announced his intention to begin the NBA draft process, while also entering the transfer portal on Sunday with a “do not contact” tag, immediately raising the eyebrows of every top nation in the program, as his 16.9 points, on 50.6% field goal rate, and the nation’s 7th-best three-point rate at 48.6% warrants.
Momcilovic was a key part in Iowa State's stellar 29-8 season, which abruptly ended at the hands of Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
CBS Sports explains why Momcilovic should look towards the Jayhawks
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports recently compiled a list of the top teams that should go after the 6-foot-8 forward, and his reasoning couldn’t make more sense.
“…Bill Self has long valued forwards who can stretch defenses and operate within a structured offense and Momcilovic's high basketball IQ would make him an instant contributor in Lawrence given what's left in the Jayhawks' rotation. Kansas also offers the exposure and a virtual guaranteed NCAA Tournament appearance, too.”
A name Kansas fans know all too well
The Jayhawks took on the Cyclones twice this past season, and in the latter matchup, Momcilovic and Iowa State ran rampant in what turned into a 74-56 win for the Big 12 Conference Tournament runner-ups.
Momciloivc posted 18 points on a stellar 7/13 mark from the field, which included going 4/9 from beyond the arc, including this dagger of a three-pointer when the game was teetering on the brink of a blowout.
Momcilovic scored a season-high of 34 points in Iowa State’s 79-70 loss at the hands of the Cincinnati Bearcats, where he managed a phenomenal 50% from the field and a 57.1% rate from the field.
While there will be several of high-level suitors for the nation’s No. 2 overall player in the portal, the Jayhawks should do everything they can to grab his attention.
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