Otega Oweh was key in sparking Kentucky's timely runs vs. Florida: 'He's a bucket, man.'

Surprise, surprise — Otega Oweh scored in double-figures again on Saturday during Kentucky’s 106-100 win over No. 6 Florida. The junior guard has yet to finish with fewer than 10 points in a single game this season. He went for 16 points (6-10 FG), four rebounds, and two steals in his 27 minutes of action in.

But it was his impact during Kentucky’s scoring runs against Florida that allowed the Wildcats to push past the Gators for a thrilling SEC-opening win. Oweh was crucial to Kentucky’s 16-0 stretch in the first half that quickly turned a double-digit deficit for the ‘Cats into a lead.

After checking in with UK down eight points at the 10:29 mark, Oweh posted 10 points and three rebounds over the next three minutes. He also forced Florida into a turnover. His lone three-point attempt of the afternoon capped off the big run for Kentucky, making it a five-point lead that forced Florida into a timeout.

“To have the first run you need to have Otega Oweh,” Head coach Mark Pope said postgame. “I will tell you what, you know what guys, it’s the most humbling thing in the world to watch these guys grow. And the game is such an incredible teacher. 

“Otega’s first rotation was a little bit more short than normal and he was out before the first media (timeout). He sat for a little while and he is coming off of a game where he didn’t love it. He refused to allow any of that to affect any of his intensity or drive. When he came back in we were a little bit sideways and couldn’t kinda find a rhythm and he was like — you guys just relax man, I will come find all of your rhythm for you.”

16-0 Cats run. This sequence >>>>

📺 – ESPN pic.twitter.com/JW863hmGeS

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 4, 2025

Oweh was also massive for Kentucky at a time in the second half when Florida was making a run of its own. The Gators had just cut UK’s lead down to one, 70-69, with roughly 12 minutes left in the game. Oweh responded by scoring six straight points for the ‘Cats, including an offensive rebound that led to a pair of free throws.

When Kentucky needed him to step up, that’s exactly what he did.

“He’s a bucket, man,” Lamont Butler said postgame of Oweh. “He just wills buckets in there. He’s always cutting hard, he’s real physical. It’s real tough to keep him out the paint and when he’s hitting shots, there’s nothing really you can do. He’s gonna continue to do that all year for us.”

“He’s just consistent,” Koby Brea added. “We just know what we’re gonna get from him every single night. Even if he starts off a little slow, I know he’s gonna turn it around.”

It’s not a hot take to say Oweh has been Kentucky’s best player so far this season. It would be more of a hot take to argue against it.

“It’s interesting because when you guys talk to him he is the most soft-spoken guy ever, isn’t he? But he has a competitive fire in him that burns really really deep,” Pope said. “What he is doing this season is just really incredible. 

“You know, Otega is interesting. Otega breaks some of our rules. He is one of those guys where from time to time I have to close my eyes and look away and don’t change it and just accept it that this is just Otega being Otega. He’s done that for us a lot this year and the contribution he’s making to this team and the way he’s leading and the joy he brings to our guys is really special.”