Otega Oweh is making his case for SEC Player of the Year

Otega Oweh was named the SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year, but he didn’t always look like that player early into his senior campaign.

It’s not that Oweh was playing badly — he’s still scored in double-figures during every game played this season — but something felt… off… with his game. Was the turf toe injury that sidelined him for over two months in the summer still lingering? Was he trying to do too much to build his NBA Draft stock? Whatever it was, Oweh was never truly able to find his rhythm in non-conference play. The losses piled up for Kentucky as a result.

But once the SEC schedule hit, Oweh looked like the player the Big Blue Nation envisioned he’d be back in October.

“Otega’s just an elite player,” Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser said after Oweh dropped 24 points in a win on Wednesday. “He’s just becoming a complete player.”

Oklahoma has no answers for Otega Oweh (again).pic.twitter.com/yQjSyacja9

— KSR (@KSRonX) February 5, 2026

Against his former school, Oweh shot 7-11 from the field (3-4 from deep) to reach his 24 points, adding three rebounds and three assists along the way. It marked his fourth straight game with at least 20 points, and the eighth time he’s hit 20 points across Kentucky’s 10 SEC games. It’s not just the scoring, though. His playmaking continues to improve. He’s regularly guarding the opposing team’s top backcourt player.

“As coaches, you always want to nit-pick, but he’s a bad dude,” Kentucky assistant coach Jason Hart said. “Otega Oweh is a really good basketball player. He’s consistent, he’s our leader. Sometimes I kinda be in awe watching him, but he’s been playing at a high level, and that’s why he was Preseason SEC Player of the Year.”

If Oweh keeps up this level of play, he might just end up being the Postseason SEC Player of the Year, too. He might just end up leading Kentucky to one of the top spots in the conference standings. The better he performs, the better Kentucky plays as a team. UK is now 7-3 against conference foes, winning those seven games across the last eight outings.

“Our offense is opening up because he’s scoring and he’s making plays for his teammates,” Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean added.

Oweh is used to putting together big games when it comes to playing Oklahoma. He hit a pair of game-winners last season on his way to averaging 27.5 points per outing in those two Kentucky wins. Wednesday night was no different, but it’s not just the Sooners feeling his wrath as of late. Oweh is making the case that he’s the best player in the entire SEC.