Kentucky signs a 'Transformer' in 'Otega-Tron' Oweh: "Whatever we needed him to do, he did"

Rob Brown remembers the moment Otega Oweh achieved legendary status for Team Final, slicing down the lane at Peach Jam and lifting for a dunk that took the roof off the gym in North Augusta. The former four-star guard anchored that backcourt alongside Corey Floyd Jr. while Dereck Lively II and Jalen Duren were the stars down low. They were a force to be reckoned with, steamrolling their way to the title with minimal pushback.

Oweh had the grit and tenacity to spearhead the defense out on the perimeter, but in a high-profile matchup against Bronny James and Jahzare Jackson, his dunk in traffic set the tone for the entire week inside the Riverview Park Activities Center. Brown, Team Final’s program director, said that moment is one he’ll remember forever.

“He dunked on a kid — he might’ve dunked on four kids against Strive For Greatness. He dunked on that whole team,” he said. “That poster is cemented in my brain as who Otega Oweh is.”

Fast forward three years and Oweh is now a Kentucky Wildcat, announcing his transfer from Oklahoma on Saturday. After two season as a Sooner in Norman, he’ll be trading out the red for blue and white in Lexington. It’s a move his former EYBL director says will not only benefit the 6-4 guard, but Mark Pope in his push to build a competitor in year one as the head coach at Kentucky.

It helps having a Transformer in Oweh leading your defense, just as he did for Brown a few years back.

“We used to call him ‘Otega-Tron’ because he was like a Transformer for us,” he told KSR. “Whatever we needed him to do, he did. If we needed him to defend bigs, defend wings, defend guards, he did it. … He defends a lot of positions.”

On the other end, he’s a guy capable of putting the ball on the floor and using his size and athleticism to finish with force around the basket — clearly.

“When he gets downhill, man, it’s hard to stop him,” Brown added. “He’s good at getting into his game, finishing above the rim as an athletic wing.”

If there was one knock on his game, it was jump shooting. That was a clear weakness back in his EYBL days with Team Final and an adjustment in college, knocking down just 25.0% of his attempts in year one — a smooth one of four total. This season? 37.7% on 53 attempts, a significant jump with plenty of improvement left to go in his two seasons of remaining eligibility.

“He didn’t shoot any threes for us. The fact that he’s shooting 37 or 38 percent, that’s an improvement,” Brown said. “… It’s really developed, he just didn’t shoot a whole lot of them. But he shoots good ones. He’s a team guy and wants to make sure he takes the best shots. He’s only going to get better and better. The guard at Oklahoma last year was a scoring point guard, so with the guards Kentucky has, he’ll flourish even more.”

Oweh’s always been tough, but his body has transformed in college, allowing him to take his game to a different level.

“His physicality, honestly. He used to be a little heavy — well, not heavy, but a bruiser. His body fat is really low right now, which makes him even more dynamic and more explosive.”

But again, defense is the name of the game with Oweh. He’s among the best in college basketball at what he does, something Kentucky desperately needed under Mark Pope after a historically down year on that end of the floor under John Calipari. The Cats needed junkyard dogs, and that’s exactly what the Newark, NJ native is.

The impact Oweh made for Team Final three summers back is what he expects him to provide in Lexington, only bigger and better.

“They were like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, so strong and physical,” Brown said. “They’d really get up on guys defensively because they had Dereck (Lively) and Jalen (Duren) behind them. He’s used to pressure defense and getting up in guys, so defensively, he’s going to be a plus for Pope. … I think he can defend one through four, I really do. I don’t think you need to put him in any specific position, he’s positionless defensively.”

We know his reputation and what he brings to the table, but how did he land at Kentucky? He arrived for his visit on Thursday and was announced as an official signee on Saturday.

It goes back to Pope’s time at BYU, the Cougars making their debut in the Big 12. They faced off once in February and the staff certainly watched him closely throughout conference play. There was a clear fit and Kentucky quickly put forth a full-court press to land his commitment.

He saw everything he needed to see.

“Coach (Pope) scouted him a lot, knows what he does well and what he doesn’t do well. He fell in love with him and prioritized him,” Brown said. “… I know a lot of schools were on him pretty heavy, he visited a couple of schools while a couple came to Oklahoma to visit him. After visiting Kentucky, it was pretty clear that’s where he wanted to go.

“It came down to two schools at the end, but Kentucky just has so much going for them. It’s a new wave at Kentucky and Otega wanted to be a part of it.”

Brown compares Oweh’s game to former NBA standout Tony Allen, a gritty winner with championship DNA. His brother, Odafe Oweh, is a pass-rusher in the NFL and knows how to win at the highest level.

Worried about the spotlight bothering the Oklahoma transfer at Kentucky? Don’t be.

“I think he’s going to be fine. He comes from a family of athletes, his brother is a defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens,” Brown said. “All they know is athletics, so he’s going to be fine. He’s not afraid of shine or the limelight.”