Milan Momcilovic, a 6-foot-8 junior forward from Pewaukee (WI) High, is one of the top players in the Midwest in the Class of 2024 and is ranked as the number one junior in the state by Wis Sports.
Momcilovic is averaging 17.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season as the Pirates are off to a 10-2 start. He has scored in double figures in every game with three games of more than 20 points, including a season-high 23 points versus West Allis Central.
Momcilovic was named Player of the Year in the Western Division of the Woodland Conference as a sophomore after averaging 16.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. The Pirates finished 27-3, defeating Onalaska 54-37 to win WIAA Division 2 state championship.
Momcilovic averaged 14.8 points per game as a freshman as the Pirates finished 15-9.
Momcilovic scored 15 points to helped lead the Pirates to a 78-52 win over Robbinsdale Armstrong in the Breakdown Border Battle Saturday.
GopherHole caught up with Momcilovic after the game to learn the latest on his college recruitment, his Minnesota offer and junior year.
Gopher Hole: You guys played extremely well. How pleased are you with how well you guys are playing so far this season?
Milan Momcilovic: We played pretty well today. The ball was moving. Shots were going in. We played pretty good on defense the first half. We played pretty good overall this season. We lost two games early, which was tough, because we didn’t really expect to lose, but it’s good for us to lose and we just came back and we are battling every day in practice and we are doing well right now.
GopherHole: You have a lot of guys back from that state championship team. How much do you think that helps you guys having that chemistry? You seem very willing to pass the ball to the next guy.
Milan Momcilovic: I think it definitely helps a lot. We’ve really played together. This is my third year of playing with them already, so the chemistry is just there already. We only lost one guy from last year, so the chemistry is there, for sure.
GopherHole: You won the state title last year, beating Onalaska in the state championship game. What would it mean to get back there and win another title?
Milan Momcilovic: That would mean a lot. Back-to-back, not many people can do and back-to-back-to-back, that would be very special. Closing out my senior year.
GopherHole: You are hearing from a lot of schools. How many offers are you up to right now?
Milan Momcilovic: I have five. Minnesota, Iowa State, Marquette, Oral Roberts and UW Milwaukee.
GopherHole: You have to be pleased with that being only a junior. What other schools are you hearing from besides those five?
Milan Momcilovic: Northwestern, DePaul, Iowa. A couple more, but I’m forgetting right now.
GopherHole: What was the first offer you received?
Milan Momcilovic: Marquette.
GopherHole: Did you have a chance to go to many college football games or college basketball games so far this year?
Milan Momcilovic: I went to Iowa State’s football game. I went to a visit to Minnesota. I went to Marquette and that’s it.
GopherHole: Did you go to a Gopher football game?
Milan Momcilovic: No, I just went to their practice.
GopherHole: What was that like?
Milan Momcilovic: It was a cool atmosphere. I liked how the coaches coached them and were very coachable. A lot of energy in the practice. I liked how the practice was run and I’m coming back up actually next month for an official visit. I think February 19 (Northwestern game).
GopherHole: You have a ways to go before you make a college choice, but what are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B or C?
Milan Momcilovic: Probably, number one, the coaches. Two, the teammates I’m playing with. Three, how I fit in. The style. The school. Four, probably the conference. Five, probably the atmosphere. I like the atmosphere, but number one, definitely, the coaches. How they coach? How I fit in with them? How our relationship is?
GopherHole: You have a family atmosphere with your team with Ashton and Nick Janowski and your brother Luka (a 6-foot-6 freshman) playing on the team. How special does that make it with having your brother on the team?
Milan Momcilovic: It makes it pretty special, because this is probably going to be, we have one more year of playing together, but after that, we probably wouldn’t play together the rest of our lives, so it is going to be special, especially next year because he doesn’t play right now, but next year when we are on the court together, it will be pretty cool to see.
GopherHole: Does he watch you and try to learn and try to pick up things from you?
Milan Momcilovic: He learns a couple of things from me. I teach him along the way. He doesn’t like me all the time teaching him. He yells at me sometimes, but it is what it is. At the end of the day, he’s going to get better from watching me.
GopherHole: Do you guys play one-on-one much?
Milan Momcilovic: We used to play a lot, but in season, we don’t play right now, but in the summer, we definitely do.
GopherHole: How does that work out? Any hard feelings or fights?
Milan Momcilovic: He likes to get mad a lot, but at the end of the day, I always win, so I can’t complain.
GopherHole: You mentioned the two losses you had. One was a tough game against Wisconsin Lutheran, who is also playing in this event and that is a team that you are going to play again in the regular season and maybe in the postseason. What is it going to take to get past them and get back to the state tournament?
Milan Momcilovic: I think we’ll be fine versus them. Our first game, we did not play defense very well. We actually beat them three times last year, so they got their revenge. Our main focus is we’ve got to lock down on defense and “D” up.
GopherHole: Do you feel like since you are the defending state champions that you are getting everybody’s best game and that everybody wants to be the team that knocks you guys off?
Milan Momcilovic: For sure. You should have seen the two teams that we lost to. When they won and the horn went off, they acted like it was the Super Bowl. All their fans went crazy. They were standing up. They ran on the court and jumped around. They thought it was the Super Bowl.