As college basketball approaches, the SEC released its preseason All-SEC teams, with two Kentucky Wildcats earning recognition ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic earned a spot on the Preseason All-SEC Second Team, while returning sophomore center Malachi Moreno landed on the third team. Momcilovic is expected to be head coach Mark Pope’s most valuable hand, coming off a junior season in which he led the country in 3-point shooting percentage, finishing at 48.7%.

Momcilovic averaged a team-high 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and one assist per game, logging 37 starts in all 37 games the Cyclones played. The Wisconsin native suffered a severely jammed index finger on his shooting hand during the summer, one that sidelined him for a bit of time. Momcilovic wore a splint due to the injury; however, he was back shooting in practice on Sept. 22.

On Sept. 28, Pope said Momcilovic was expected to be cleared to practice without the splint the following week, though no reports have confirmed this yet. Moreno, UK’s number one center, who earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team last season, is expected to have a big sophomore season. There were reports that Moreno could’ve gotten drafted had he entered his name in the 2026 NBA Draft; however, he was looking to prove more at his home-state school. Last season, the 7-foot big man averaged 7.8 points, a team-high 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, shooting 58.2% from the field.

Moreno started in 30 of the 36 games that Kentucky played last campaign, earning valuable reps as a rookie. Kentucky has its first exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 16, when it hosts Arkansas Little Rock, a member of the newly formed United Athletic Conference (UAC), inside Rupp Arena. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on SEC Network+.

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