Otega Oweh earns Preseason All-American honors; New SEC regular-season odds

by: Tyler Thompson5 hours agoMrsTylerKSR

kentucky-odds-to-win-sec-another-otega-oweh-sec-poy-pick — Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) greeted fans at the 2025 Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025 - © Matt Stone/The Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We’re just 13 days away from the start of the 2025-26 college basketball season and 14 days from Kentucky’s opener vs. Nicholls. In turn, more preseason honors are out, some featuring a Kentucky Wildcat.

Last week, Otega Oweh was named Preseason SEC Player of the Year by the league’s media. This morning, ESPN’s Myron Medcalf echoed that honor, picking Oweh as his SEC Player of the Year.

The brother of Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh, the 6-foot-5 guard could become the family’s brightest star if he earns an All-America nod, competes for the Wooden Award and leads Kentucky to the Final Four after a decade-long drought for the program. For Oweh, the SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year, all of those goals seem attainable. He’s on a shortlist of the best players in the country in 2025-26.
Myron Medcalf, ESPN

Last season, Oweh led Kentucky in scoring at 16.2 points per game, finishing in double figures in the first 26 games and 33 overall, and steals (57 total). His top competition for SEC Player of the Year, in Medcalf’s eyes? Florida big man Alex Condon, who was named an AP Preseason All-American on Monday. Those games against the Gators (Feb. 14, Gainesville; March 7, Lexington) are going to be must-see TV.

Oweh was not named a Preseason All-American by the AP, but he did make CBS Sports’ All-American Second Team today. Oweh was the only Wildcat — and SEC player — on the three All-American Teams.

Amid a season of seismic transition at Kentucky, Oweh was a model of stability in 2024-25, as he reached double figures in 34 of 36 games. Now, after flirting with the NBA Draft, the bruising shooting guard is back for a final spin through the college game. Oweh is built like a running back and that physicality makes him an elite perimeter defender and unstoppable driver.
CBS Sports

Purdue’s Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn both made the First Team, with Smith the only unanimous selection. We’ll get to see them both in action Friday night at Rupp as the Cats host the No. 1 Boilermakers (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

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Kentucky 2nd betting favorite to win SEC

New odds are out for the season, and it should come as no surprise that Kentucky is among the favorites to win the SEC and national championship.

BetMGM released its regular-season conference odds, and Kentucky is the second betting favorite to win the SEC, behind defending national champion Florida. The Gators are +190 to take home the SEC regular-season title, with Kentucky not too far behind at +350. John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks are third at +500, followed by Alabama at +750 and Tennessee at +850. From there, there’s a big drop off until the rest of the pack, starting with Steven Pearl’s Auburn Tigers (+2000) and Chris Jans’ Mississippi State Bulldogs (+2200).

2025-26 SEC regular season winner

Florida +190
Kentucky +350
Arkansas +500
Alabama +750
Tennessee +850
Auburn +2000
Mississippi State +2200
Texas A&M +2500
Missouri +3000
Ole Miss +3000
Oklahoma +4000
Texas +4000
Vanderbilt +4000
Georgia +8000
LSU +8000
South Carolina +20000

Widen the scope to the entire sport, and Florida and Kentucky aren’t too far down the list of favorites to win the national championship. Purdue, which comes to Rupp Arena on Friday night, is the betting favorite at +750, followed by Houston (+900), Duke (+1300), UConn and Florida (+1400), and Kentucky, Michigan, and St. John’s (+1600). If you’re keeping track of our rivals, Louisville is +2200, with Arkansas right behind at +2500.

National Championship winner