Recently, the Kentucky Wildcats landed 5-star Milan Momcilovic over the Louisville Cardinals. The two in-state rivals were going head-to-head for the elite 3-point specialist, and after days of recruiting the 5-star, the Iowa State transfer landed at Kentucky.
The eye-popping reported Milan Momcilovic price tag explains why Louisville lost out
Now that Kentucky has landed the 5-star recruit, many fans and reporters are comparing the two rivals and predicting which team will be better in the 2026-27 season. The Field of 68 had a recent podcast, and Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman compared Louisville basketball and Kentucky by position, and when the podcast got to center, Dauster just gave Flory Bidunga some fuel for the upcoming season.
Analyst gives Flory Bidunga extra motivation before Louisville-Kentucky showdown
Bidunga was one of the best centers in college basketball this past season, and the 5-star transfer is poised for another breakout year. However, when comparing Bidunga and Kentucky’s center Malachi Moreno, Dauster predicts Moreno will be better than Bidunga, giving the Cards' 5-star the extra motivation for the upcoming season.
“I’m gonna plant my flag on Moreno island and say he’ll be better this season than Flory Bidunga,” stated Dauster. “I’m betting on a Malachi Moreno breakout season.”
Moreno is a former 5-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting class, but Louisville fans are having a hard time seeing and believing this comment from Dauster. Moreno averaged just 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 58.2 percent from the floor.
When looking at Bidunga and his strengths, the Cards' center is a dominant rim protector who won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year this past season and earned All-Big 12 honors. The Kansas transfer is much more experienced and is coming off a dominant year, and while Moreno will likely take a step in the right direction, it is hard to see him outplay Bidunga.
Bidunga doesn’t need much more motivation for this upcoming season, but after this comment, it is safe to say this is some fuel for the 5-star transfer and another reason Louisville and Bidunga will be fired up for the rivalry game on December 12. Bidunga ranked No. 1 overall on the portal, averaging 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 64 percent from the field.
Also read: Louisville's lineup even without Milan Momcilovic should still have fans dreaming big
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
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