Two Wildcats invited to NBA Draft Combine in Chicago

A pair of Kentucky Wildcats have received invites to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine later this month in Chicago.

The NBA announced Friday that guards Otega Oweh and Koby Brea are among the 75 players who were invited to participate. The annual Combine will be held from May 11-18 at Wintrust Arena (where DePaul and the Chicago Sky play) and the Marriott Marquis. This week-long showcase brings scouts and front office personnel from all 30 teams to one place for a first-hand look at the best draft-eligible prospects ahead of June’s NBA Draft.

More names will be added to the group of 75 players ahead of the NBA Draft Combine. The 2025 NBA G League Elite Camp at Wintrust Arena will precede the Combine, running from May 9-11. A select number of the top standouts from the G League Elite Camp will receive invites to the actual NBA Draft Combine.

The NBA announced today that 75 players have been invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, which will take place from May 11-18 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.

Additionally, a select number of standout players from the 2025 NBA G League Elite Camp, which… pic.twitter.com/KlCy4tcvW8

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 2, 2025

It’s no shock to see Oweh, who still has a year of college eligibility remaining, receive an invite. Barring a first-round pick guarantee, the expectation remains he will return to Kentucky. He has until May 28 to make his stay-or-go decision. Oweh’s name is not currently mentioned on any high-profile NBA Draft Mock Drafts. If he does ultimately come back to Kentucky, he’ll be among the SEC’s top choices for Preseason Player of the Year.

Brea, on the other hand, is seeing his name mentioned more and more often on Mock Drafts and Big Boards. ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony, who has Brea going late in the second round, recently watched him practice out in Los Angeles earlier this week. As a 6-foot-7 sharpshooter, the belief is that Brea will have a market as a draftable prospect. A good showing at the Combine would only improve his odds of getting picked.

Got a chance to spend time with Kentucky's Koby Brea in LA this week. Hard to find a prettier shooting stroke in this class at 6-foot-7. Shot 44% for 3 this year and 50% as a junior. Putting real work in getting ready for the NBA Combine on Chicago. pic.twitter.com/3UUngInfun

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 1, 2025

There are some Kentucky players who did not receive a Combine invite, though, most notably center Amari Williams. Despite being tabbed as a second-round pick in The Athletic’s most recent mock, Williams did not make the initial 75-man cut. However, if he ends up receiving an invite to the G League Elite Camp, he can play his way into the real Combine. The rest of Kentucky’s graduated players — Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr, Lamont Butler, and Ansley Almonor — were also not invited.

Kentucky’s incoming transfer point guard Jaland Lowe (Pitt) did not receive an NBA Draft Combine invite either. Along with Oweh, those two are the lone Wildcats with college eligibility remaining still going through the NBA Draft process.

The 2025 NBA Draft will be held from June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.