Otega Oweh returning to Kentucky for second season

Kentucky’s Otega Oweh (00) shoots as Auburn’s Miles Kelly, bottom right, looks on during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW)- Otega Oweh is returning to Kentucky for his last season of college basketball after withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft, he announced on Instagram on Wednesday.

May 28 was the last day that Oweh had to decide if he was going to stay on the road to becoming a professional or not. His return is a huge boost for Head Coach Mark Pope as he gears up for his second season at the helm.

“(Otega’s) physicality is elite on the offensive and defensive end. It shows up in contact, explosiveness, his first step, and ability to guard guys off and on the ball. He grew so much last season in terms of winning the point of attack over and over again,” said Pope.

In his first season in Lexington, the Oklahoma transfer scored in double figures in every game but three. He also lead the Wildcats to two come from behind wins versus his former team.

In the dying seconds in Norman and in Nashville during the SEC Tournament, he dropped in go-ahead buckets with seconds to spare against the Sooners. The latter result giving Kentucky its first SEC Tournament win since 2022.

Even after all those heroics, Pope says there’s more left for Agent 00 to accomplish making big plays as he returns to Lexington with a new-look team waiting for him.

“He has so much room to grow. I think his ceiling as a playmaker he hasn’t even begun to tap into.”