Milan Momcilovic one step closer to joining Louisville but 3 major hurdles remain

With the NBA Draft deadline here, we don't have to tell you that countless eyes were on standout forward Milan Momcilovic. In some big news, only a few hours before he had to make his final decision, Momcilovic officially pulled his name out of the draft and he'll be returning to college next season. For Louisville and Pat Kelsey, that's amazing news.

Flory Bidunga's NBA Draft decision fuels Louisville basketball fans' front-court dreams

However, it seems like the Momcilovic drama is only getting started. While the door remains open for the sharpshooter to suit up for Kelsey next season, On3's Joe Tipton didn't waste any time in reporting that the Iowa State transfer is down to four schools. Yes, Louisville is in the hunt, but Kelsey is going to have to take down St. John's, Arizona and Kentucky in this recruiting battle royal:

Milan Momcilovic Update: Star transfer pulls his name out of the NBA Draft at the last minute

So, you're saying there's a chance? There had been plenty of recent buzz that Momcilovic was going to make a return to the college game. He had consistently said that if he were to get a first-round grade, then he'd likely stay in the draft. However, the majority of recent mock drafts had him as a second-rounder, which appeared to make this decision easier for him.

And while there are plenty of NIL rumors flying, we can go ahead and assume that he's going to be getting top dollar now that he's delaying his pro career by a year. According to the 247Sports rankings, the 6-8, 225-pound forward is a 5-star transfer and the No. 2 portal player for his class. The No. 1 player? That'd be Flory Bidunga, who Kelsey was already able to reel in this offseason.

Kelsey was on fire adding transfer pledges, as Bidunga is joined on the list by Gabe Dynes, De'Shayne Montgomery, Alvaro Folgueiras, Karter Knox and Jackson Shelstad. Naturally, the question begs - is Momcilovic going to join the party and grab a seat at this table? That's what Kelsey and so many others are hoping for.

However, once again, this is not going to be easy, as Mark Pope, Rick Pitino and Tommy Lloyd are all looking to have a say in things. Momcilovic was one of the best shooters in the country last season, burying 48.7 percent of his shots from downtown. He'd be a dream addition for this roster and him pulling his name out of the draft has given the Louisville faithful even more hope that Kelsey will be able to pull this dang thing off.

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