Otega Oweh isn't the headliner, but he's been Kentucky's 'best player' in nearly every game

You would have been hard-pressed to find a Kentucky fan back in August who truly believed that Otega Oweh would be the Wildcats’ leading scorer through the first four games of the season. But 15 points per game later, that’s exactly where we are.

Oweh, now a junior after two seasons at Oklahoma, didn’t receive the offseason/preseason love that some of the other transfers (or even freshmen) did. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound tank of a human was impressive as a sophomore with the Sooner, but what we’ve seen early into his Kentucky career is a leap above that.

Along with his 15 points, he’s also averaging 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.5 assists, and one block in 23 minutes per outing. He’s shooting the ball efficiently: 58.3 percent from the floor, 54.5 percent from deep, and 80 percent from the line. All three of those numbers are career highs. He’s taking career-best attempts in all three categories, as well. Oweh has scored in double-figures all four games, including a season-high 21 points in the opener. He dropped 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in UK’s win over Duke.

“Otega has been unbelievable,” Head coach Mark Pope said on Thursday. “I don’t know if he’s the headline guy of any game, but he is the best player in every game almost, give or take. He gets us off to unbelievable starts. Man, he has a knack to start the game, it’s been brilliant actually. He has an impact. His conditioning has gotten better and better. He seems like he’s not getting fatigued on the floor. He’s understanding us better. He’s making a defensive impact.”

As Pope mentioned, Oweh has started off games incredibly well for Kentucky, setting the tone on both ends throughout the rest of the game.

In the season-opener against Wright State, Oweh recorded four points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in the first four minutes. He started the game against Bucknell with four points and two rebounds in the first four minutes. In the first four minutes against Duke, it was four points and an assist. Most recently against Lipscomb, Oweh’s first four minutes included five points, a rebound, and a block.

Once those first four minutes of the game are up, Pope then takes Oweh out and replaces him with Koby Brea, who is statistically the best three-point shooter in all of college basketball. That’s a pretty good one-two punch at the two-guard spot.

“Otega has been incredible. I’m so proud of him,” Pope continued. “He might not have been the most highly-heralded guy coming in (with) this portal class. But he’s been beautiful with his teammates. He’s been really mature about taking advantage of every opportunity he’s given and earning them.

“He’s grown immensely since the summer. He’s becoming an every single day guy, which is a huge challenge. Which might not have come instinctively to him but he’s really focusing on being an every single day guy and he’s been incredible actually. He’s a real gift to have as a player.”

What Pope loves the most about Oweh so far is that he doesn’t have to worry about his impact as a defender. “Otega, go handle that and let me try to coach the other four defenders,” he said. Pope knows exactly what he’s getting out of Oweh on that end of the floor every possession. It allows him to focus his attention elsewhere.

The Big Blue Nation (and Pope, quite frankly) was hoping to keep Oweh around for at least another season after 2024-25. But if he continues on this path, a call from the NBA might happen sooner than previously expected.

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