Oklahoma HC Porter Moser says Otega Oweh is 'having an all-league type of year.'

Porter Moser saw firsthand just how quickly Otega Oweh can make strides in his game.

Moser, now in year four as Oklahoma’s head man, coached Oweh his first two college seasons. A former four-star recruit, Oweh was expected to be a productive player sooner rather than later. After averaging just 4.8 points in 13.2 minutes per game as a freshman in 2022-23, the 6-foot-5 guard took a leap as a sophomore under Moser: 11.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game. Signs of an even better player were there.

But Oweh elected to leave the Sooner State in the offseason, transferring to Kentucky to play for new head coach Mark Pope. Both Oweh and Moser are adamant there is no bad blood between the two sides. But in this new world of the transfer portal, rosters are always fluid. Oweh saw an opportunity to play for a powerhouse and took it.

“I think a lot of him as a young man, Otega, great young man,” Moser said Tuesday during his pre-Kentucky press conference. “It’s unfortunate in this world with this business right now. It’s not going to be weird. We’re both competitors. He’s going to try to win, we’re going to try to win. As you go through this portal era, you’re going to be facing players that you’ve coached before. That’s part of it. I think we’re both competitors and want to win. But I do think a lot of him as a young man.”

Oweh will make his return to Norman tonight when Oklahoma hosts him and his Kentucky Wildcats at 9:00 p.m. EST on the SEC Network. He’s close friends with one of the Sooners’ star players, Jalon Moore, and was teammates with a few others the last couple of seasons. Oweh is already making sure his emotions don’t get the best of him ahead of time.

All of that will be in the back of his mind when the ball is tipped though. Oweh is coming off his first game of the season scoring under double-figures. He went 26 straight contests to start the season with at least 10 points before finishing with just two (while fouling out in the process) in Kentucky’s last game, a road loss to Alabama. Having Lamont Butler and/or Jaxson Robinson back in the lineup would surely help ease some of that pressure too.

But Oweh is also having too good of a season for it to turn sideways now. He’s the Wildcats’ leading scorer this season at 15.7 points, which wasn’t expected to be the case back in September. A strong finish to the season would likely cement his spot on an All-SEC Team. His numbers haven’t dropped off from non-conference to conference play.

“He’s had a great year, phenomenal year,” Moser added. “To have that double-figure scoring (streak) as long as he did in this league? Phenomenal. He’s having an all-league type of year.”

Kentucky fans will be hoping Oweh proves Moser correct later tonight in a big road win for the ‘Cats.