Iowa State freshman Milan Momcilovic emerges as steady offensive force for Cyclones
AMES – Milan Momcilovic had an explosive debut for Iowa State basketball. The freshman immediately delivered on his high school hype as one of the best shooting big men in the 2023 class, downing six 3s in his collegiate debut against Green Bay in November.
And what has the Pewaukee, Wis., native done as an encore?
Well, there haven’t been the fireworks of a six-triple day, but the 6-foot-8 wing has emerged as one of the steadiest and most consistent members of coach T.J. Otzelberger’s team heading into Saturday’s Big 12 opener at No. 11 Oklahoma (5 p.m.; ESPN+).
Momcilovic is averaging 13.6 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the free-throw line. He has scored in double-figures in all but two games this season.
“I felt like I played pretty well the first two months and it went pretty good,” Momcilovic said Thursday. “I’ve had a lot of fun with this team. We’re 11-2 and I’m playing a lot as a freshman, so I can’t complain about that.”
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And the Cyclones can't complain about Momcilovic’s production and steadiness as a first-year player.
“He’s also a tremendous worker,” Otzelberger said. “Not a guy on our team that spends more time in the gym than he does. The game slows down for him based on the work that he’s done.
“What’s really great about Milan is he’s uniquely him, and he has these shots and plays that he makes that he’s developed and worked on over time.
“It’s great to see it show up for him on game nights and pay off.”
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Momcilovic’s offensive prowess for Iowa State is a sight for sore eyes, literally after some especially low-scoring affairs, after the previous two seasons when Iowa State was among the Big 12’s worst offenses.
“It’s easy for me to get it to him because he’s such a big target and he gets the shot off quick,” Iowa State point guard Tamin Lipsey said. “He can shoot from basically anywhere on the court.”
Location isn’t an issue for Momcilovic, though frequency may be. At least for his coach.
“The more opportunities we can find for him to be aggressive, the better for our team, for our offense,” Otzelberger said. “At this point, we want him ultra-aggressive.”
That keeps things straightforward for the freshman.
“It’s what (the coaching staff) wants,” Momcilovic said of trying to get up more shots. “It’s what the team needs. If it's what the team needs, I’m going to do it. It keeps it simple for me.
“Score the ball, shoot the ball and try to get to my spots.”
Simple, but not easy, especially with conference play looming.
“Now it’s the big boys and the Big 12,” Momcilovic said. “Got to step it up a whole other level.
“In the start of the non-con, it was, I don’t want to say easy, but it wasn’t that difficult (to get open looks). Then we went to Orlando and you could tell the pace of play was much faster and it was much harder.
“I expect it’s going to be difficult, but I'll be fine.”
Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball's Milan Momcilovic stays hot for Cyclones
