RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Feb 14, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) shoots over Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Mark Pope is entering his third year with a new attitude. The coach often looked depressed and downtrodden during last season, and ever since the offseason began, he has done his best to get back to expressing joy.
The team was on a boat singing karaoke, and they visited a cancer center in Hazard. And Pope has described the team as having a real “togetherness,” something that should excite anyone who thought last year looked a little disjointed.
A key part of that excitement is the incoming transfers. Pope himself recently spoke on the Field of 68 to describe what makes Milan Momcilovic and Alex Wilkins special.
“When I watch him play, the time where it seems like he’s the most comfortable in the world is when he’s taking a shot, and even more so when he’s taking a big shot,” Pope said of Momcilovic.
First, saying that Momcilovic is most comfortable when he is taking a shot excites me. You have to be willing to miss the big shots to take them. Momcilovic has that mentality in spades and should prove to be a crunch-time player, something you can never have enough of.
Nearly everyone is excited about Milan committing, but Pope doesn’t want anyone to forget about Wilkins.
“Alex is getting tougher every day,” Pope said of Wilkins . “He’s getting more disciplined every day. He is a wild talent… He shot over 50% on insanely difficult 3s in live play for us over the course of the entire summer.”
It is a skill to make crazy shots, but you don’t want to live there. Wilkins lived there a lot at Furman, shooting just 46/32/82 splits, showing real potential for growth. So, it’s good to hear that the discipline is working its way into his regimen.
Now, of course, what else is Pope going to say about his players right now? I get it. But you can see a lot of positive vibes from the guys and from people around the program. Jack Givens said he could tell these guys like to practice, which is not something he thought he saw last year.
Will it amount to more wins? We shall see.
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