LEXINGTON — In theory, Otega Oweh‘s NBA draft decision came down to the wire.
In reality, it was a decision that had been made well before he publicly announced his plans.
Oweh, Kentucky basketball‘s leading scorer last season, went through the draft process. With a year of college eligibility remaining, he still could return — if he wanted. Yet he also could have decided to remain in the draft pool and take his chances in the 59-pick event. The New Jersey native waited until May 28 — the deadline for his stay-or-go decision — to reveal he’d be back for Year 2 with the Wildcats.
On June 10, in his first meeting with reporters since his return to Lexington, Oweh said his decision became crystal clear “two or three days” prior to the deadline. He merely declined to publicize the news until he went through his final pre-draft workout May 28.
“I still could have gone,” he said. “But it was more of, I had one more year of eligibility and to go try and do the things that maybe I didn’t get to complete last year, which was win the national championship. … I feel like we still have so much more to complete.”
While leading UK to its ninth national title — and first since 2012 — is his chief objective, Oweh didn’t deny the obvious: “It’s everyone’s dream to play in the NBA.”
That’s why the draft process — working out for teams, competing at the combine in Chicago — was so beneficial.
“Learning all the stuff I learned there, and then being able to come back, I feel like I could definitely use those type of things to my advantage, for sure,” he said.
“Things” such as shooting more 3s. In the 3-point-crazy NBA, long-range shots are the name of the game. That’s in line with Kentucky coach Mark Pope‘s vision, as he wants to see his team inch closer to his goal of 35 attempts, per game, beyond the arc. (UK averaged 25.3 attempts from distance per outing in 2024-25, which tied for 74th in Division I and ranked fifth in the 16-team SEC.) Oweh made 27 of his 76 tries from behind the 3-point line last season, a conversion rate of 35.5%.
Not good enough for him. Or the NBA talent evaluators who offered feedback.
“They really just wanted to see me take more, because my percentage was good. … It was just the volume,” he said. “So they really just wanted to see me take more. And then in terms of (my) mechanics, (they told me), like, ‘If you’re getting it off, it’s fine.’ And I’ve been getting it off.”
Along with becoming a more consistent 3-point threat, Oweh aims to become a better playmaker. He wants to improve his stamina, given the NBA regular season is more than twice as long as the college version.
But there’s another area he believes needs more fine-tuning, too.
One that’s never come naturally for him.
“I used to always just want to lead by example,” he said. “But coach Pope, and even the older guys (last season), they made it a huge thing to not just lead by example. (They said), ‘You’ve got to be vocal, because not everybody can always do what you’re doing when you’re leading by example.’ So, just trying to step out of your comfort zone.”
A leadership style all his own.
“Be vocal but also be a little intense. I feel like that’s kind of my thing,” he said. “Like, I like talking — talking a lot in terms of, like, smack and stuff like that. So it’s gonna challenge people to really have that chip on their shoulder.”
Of course, it’s not as if all the opinions NBA scouts, coaches and staffers offered to Oweh were critical.
“My intensity, my motor, my ability to just rack up points, just throughout the game, regardless of what it is,” Oweh replied when asked what positives he heard. “And then, obviously, my defense, I got a lot of good praise, for sure. … Everyone said they like my game and like what I could bring to the table.”
The Wildcats are well aware of his gifts. Of a talent that likely will land him on numerous preseason All-American and all-conference teams. (To say nothing of the potential of Oweh being named the SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year.) Yet, even knowing what Oweh moving on to the next level could mean to next season’s roster — losing its go-to option offensively, and knocking the team down from a likely top 10 (or higher) preseason rank to one closer to the bottom of the top 25 — Pope and his staff never were pushy.
They kept their distance.
Which Oweh appreciated. Immensely.
“The process was busy traveling from state to state like every other day,” he said. “(You’re) bombarded with calls, texts. … But (Pope) would check up on my workouts, see how I was doing — all the coaches on the staff did that, actually.”
All the while, Oweh always kept an eye on how Pope and the rest of the staff were constructing the 2025-26 roster.
“Every commit, every visit, I knew what it was,” he said. “I didn’t know anybody personally, but I knew who everyone was. I watched them play throughout the season.
“Now I feel like I know them really well.”
He’ll grow with them. Yes, next season is about personal progress for Oweh. Proving he heeded the advice gleaned from the NBA draft experience.
Next season also is about remaining true to himself.
“A lot of times, people are always trying to elevate their game by doing more than what they need to do,” he said. “But, for me, I feel like simple always wins, and consistency always wins.
“So that’s kind of just the way I move.”
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Otega Oweh: Superstar guard aims for improvement in Year 2 at Kentucky
