Otega Oweh not overthinking return to Oklahoma: 'That's how you become inconsistent.'

Wednesday night will be Otega Oweh‘s first time back playing in the Lloyd Noble Center since he helped lead Oklahoma to a 74-71 win over Cincinnati on March 5, 2024. That would be his third-to-last game as a Sooner before entering the transfer portal and winding up at Kentucky. Nearly a full year later, he’ll return to Norman, trading in the crimson and cream for the blue and white.

“I’m excited just to get back out there, be on the court again, have a chance to respond,” Oweh told reporters Tuesday, adding he has no idea how the Oklahoma fans will react to his return. “I was there two years. It’s gonna be a nice feeling to have my family there too.”

Oweh’s two seasons at Oklahoma came with plenty of growth, which has continued in Lexington. The 6-foot-5 guard went from averaging 4.8 points per game as a freshman to 11.4 as a sophomore. The former four-star recruit’s development took another leap this season as a junior: 15.7 points per game as the Wildcats’ leading scorer.

Up until Kentucky’s loss against Alabama over the weekend, Oweh had scored at least 10 points in every single game this season. The Crimson Tide limited him to just two points before he fouled out after 22 minutes of action, his fewest in SEC play. There’s no better way to bounce back than by having a big game against your former team.

“Every player who plays their old school, obviously they want to do well. They’re excited for that game,” Oweh said.

But Oweh isn’t drinking all of that Kool-Aid. He’s not going to pretend this game doesn’t have some extra juice, but he also understands it’s much bigger than him. Head coach Mark Pope has preached all season long how every game is approached the same, regardless of opponent. Especially coming off his worst performance of the season, Oweh knows he has to ignore the outside factors that will pop up in Norman.

He can be eager to suit up, but he can’t be emotional once he takes the floor.

“It really is just a regular game. I feel like you can’t tie too much emotions to it, because that’s how you become inconsistent and overthink,” Oweh said. “Since the beginning of the season, I’ve just been trying to focus on one game at a time and just putting all my effort into each game. Not looking at it as who we’re playing, what the matchup is, because that’s when you create inconsistencies. I’m just looking at it all the same.”

Considering Kentucky’s injury situation, the Wildcats can’t afford another bad game from Oweh. UK will likely be favored despite playing on the road, but Oklahoma is on the bubble and desperately needs this win for its NCAA Tournament resume. For both this game and the rest of the season, Oweh can’t let inconsistency become consistent.

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