Otega Oweh tabbed as SEC Preseason Player of the Year by Jon Rothstein

Last season, the SEC was the best conference in college basketball. While the SEC lost many of its top players to the NBA this offseason, it reeled in a wave of elite transfers. Nonetheless, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein predicted returning Kentucky guard Otega Oweh to be the SEC Player of the Year next season.

“He was a starter last year, and obviously a key piece on that team that went to the Sweet Sixteen [and] was a part of the NCAA Tournament wins. Was a big part of that win, obviously, for Kentucky in the SEC Tournament,” Rothstein said. “You have to like, obviously, Otega Oweh coming back with proven college experience, somebody that has evolved into one of the best players in the SEC.”

Oweh transferred to Kentucky last offseason after spending two years at Oklahoma. Oweh averaged a team-high 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 49.2% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc.

The 6-foot-4 standout scored double-digits in the Wildcats’ first 26 games of the season, and all but three of his 36 appearances. For his efforts, he was named an All-SEC Second-Team selection by the league’s coaches.

Of course, for a player to be the best in the conference, they can’t shy away when the spotlight is on them. Oweh only improved under pressure last season, becoming the first college basketball player in the 21st century to make two game-winning shots against the same team in a single season.

Moreover, Oweh’s two game-winners were against his former team, Oklahoma. One of Oweh’s clutch buckets was a legitimate buzzer beat to boost Kentucky to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Oweh rode his momentum into the NCAA Tournament, averaging 16 points per game through Kentucky’s three outings in the Big Dance.

Oweh entered the 2025 NBA Draft this offseason but ultimately withdrew his name after going through the draft process. With one more season of eligibility, Oweh will look to build his draft stock and, if he’s lucky, haul in some hardware along the way.

“He’s going to face new and different challenges this year. He’s coming in as a marked man, right, with a ton of leadership responsibility on his shoulders,” Kentucky head coach Mark Pope said about Oweh. “To get to witness him grow through this next step in his evolution is a gift. Like, it’s, you know, that’s the best part.

“He’s going to grow. He’s going to grow exponentially again. He’s going to help us win a ton of games, and he’s going to play great basketball, and he’s going to be put in an even better position to be a pro. But, being able to watch that up close and be a part of that is the best part.”