Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) reacts in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center

As the Iowa State Cyclones prepare for the upcoming season, they are going to be without a key piece from a great team last year.

Following a Sweet 16 appearance for the Cyclones, the team is going to look very different coming into next year.

Iowa State had a few key seniors and also saw their star shooter, Milan Momcilovic, enter the transfer portal.

Coming off a great campaign, it was wise for Momcilovic to test the waters of the NBA to see if he could potentially be a high draft pick.

However, after going through the process, he withdrew and stayed in the transfer portal to play in college this coming season.

With a plethora of money coming his way, this was a smart decision if he wasnt going to be a top pick at the next level.

Momcilovic made the decision to leave the Cyclones and will be playing next year with the Kentucky Wildcats.

Expectations are going to be high for the Wildcats, and Momcilovic will be trying to live up to a massive price tag.

Milan Would Have a Hard Time Living Up to Lofty Price Tag While there is no denying that Momcilovic is an amazing player coming off a great year, living up to a price tag that was north of $6 million is going to be a challenge.

Kentucky is a program that always has high expectations, and with them spending a lot of money to bring him in, the pressure will be on.

Last year, Momcilovic was arguably the best shooter in the country, but he also had some excellent veteran talent around him.

Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson were both seniors last year for the Cyclones, and each of them had great campaigns.

The argument can be made that they were the best two players on the team, and Momcilovic was a really good third option.

As he heads to the Wildcats, the expectation for him might be a lot more than what he was used to with Iowa State.

Even though he had a fantastic campaign, there were games where he disappeared and didnt do much.

Momcilovics value comes strictly from being able to shoot the basketball at a high level, and if he struggles in that area, he can be a liability at times.

While he might have a very good season, it will be hard to live up to the price tag and the expectations that are going to be set for him.

Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting.

He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online.

With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever.

You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20..

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