The preseason hype is building around Otega Oweh, but one warning keeps surfacing: don’t let expectations change who you are. After his breakout 2024-25 season at Kentucky, the guard faces something arguably tougher than his initial rise to stardom — proving he can do it again.
With analysts already throwing around SEC Player of the Year predictions, Oweh’s biggest challenge might be staying true to what made him special in the first place.
Why Are Analysts Warning Otega Oweh About the Pressure?
Oweh pulled his name from the NBA Draft at the eleventh hour and returned to Lexington for another season. After transferring from Oklahoma, the 6’4″ New Jersey native made an immediate impact in his first year with the Wildcats. Oweh averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.
He led Kentucky in scoring, earned Second-Team All-SEC honors, and became the third transfer in program history to score over 580 points in a single season. This represented a massive leap for a player who once averaged just 4.8 points at Oklahoma. Now he plans on running it back.
While Kentucky fans can’t wait to see Oweh back on the court, analysts warn that the road ahead requires careful steps. The only thing tougher than a breakout year is backing it up.
On “The Field of 68: After Dark,” Rob Dauster has already put Oweh in the SEC Player of the Year conversation.
“He might be the preseason player of the year in the SEC. You’ve got a guy coming back who averaged 16 points a game at Kentucky, who’s going to be the preseason favorite to win the conference or at least one of them,” said Dauster.
“Otega Oweh’s return is the key to everything for Kentucky. He’s the Preseason SEC Player of the Year”@RobDauster broke down Kentucky’s offseason
https://t.co/nuUOdHdOH6 pic.twitter.com/s1wMmEW7aF
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) August 16, 2025
However, not everyone sees it as an automatic leap. CBB Insider Jeff Goodman, who joined Dauster, was optimistic but carried some skepticism.
Goodman believes that Oweh will be great, provided “You put him in there and just say, ‘Otega, do what you do and do it well. Don’t try to do more. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Just be Otega Oweh.’”
That warning hits at the heart of many sophomore slumps. Oweh’s power lies in his efficiency at attacking the rim, his suffocating defense, and his ability to show up in clutch moments.
If he changes that approach, it could derail what could be a brilliant season. According to Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, though, some positive changes are happening.
How Has Otega Oweh Evolved Under Mark Pope’s System?
Pope sees the same ceiling but in a different frame. Players tend to make significant jumps from Year 1 to Year 2, when the processing slows down and instincts take over. After watching Oweh during summer workouts, Pope shared some impressive observations on the Eye On College Basketball Podcast.
“He did things defensively this summer that I would walk off the floor saying, ‘I don’t even understand what I am seeing.’ It’s a real credit to him,” says Pope. That’s saying something for a player who logged 57 steals last season, 62 assists, and 19 blocks.
When Oweh sticks to what he does best, Kentucky wins. Last season proved this perfectly when he took down his former team, Oklahoma, with 28 points and six rebounds on the road. He then buried them again in the SEC Tournament with a game-winner.
Relive Otega Oweh breaking the hearts of the Oklahoma Sooners (his former team) TWICE in the span of a month last season! pic.twitter.com/w4i9bDB0fh
— Kentucky Hoops (@kentuckyhoopsig) August 1, 2025
The exciting development is that Oweh continues expanding his game. Pope revealed he’s been pouring time into playmaking and decision-making, in addition to sharpening the defensive side. This could make Oweh, who has already scored 1,000 career points and had 26 straight double-figure scoring games to open last season, absolutely unstoppable.
At the NBA Draft Combine, Oweh showcased his versatility by putting up 10 points and three assists in one scrimmage and 14 points and five rebounds in another.
As Dauster puts it, “Getting Otega Oweh back is a huge part of what my offseason grade is. I’m with an A. I don’t know how much better you could have done this offseason.”
What Health Concerns Could Impact Oweh’s Season?
Still, there is one concern going into the 2025-26 season. Early this August, Oweh had a toe injury, which briefly had him in a walking boot. Kentucky insists it’s precautionary, but it reinforces what Goodman emphasized: the mission this season isn’t about changing who Oweh is, it’s about keeping him on the court and letting him do his thing.
There is a picture of Otega Oweh in a boot circulating right now
I have not been able to find anything that confirms an injury but something to stay on the lookout for. pic.twitter.com/qaCcGuc9zf
— Tyler Russell (@TylerJRuss) August 5, 2025
During the NCAA Tournament opener last season, Oweh managed to become the first Wildcat since Walter McCarty in 1996 to post 20-plus points, eight rebounds, and five assists in a tournament game. That kind of production shows what he’s capable of when everything clicks.
RELATED: Mark Pope Gives Honest Review of Otega Oweh’s Progress After NBA Draft Withdrawal
Kentucky is back in the SEC spotlight, and Oweh may very well end up the league’s best player. But the pitfall Goodman flagged remains real.
The pressure to “do more” could cloud what already makes him elite. If Oweh plays his game and stays healthy, just Otega being Otega, the Wildcats will have everything they need to chase a deep March run.
