Otega Oweh Growing as Defender, Overall Player

Otega Oweh surprised coach Mark Pope with his defensive play this summer. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Otega Oweh was one of the nation’s breakout players last season when he averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game for Kentucky after transferring from Oklahoma.

He scored in double figures in UK’s first 26 games and in 33 of the 36 games the Cats played last season.

It was no surprise the 6-foot-4 guard put his name into the NBA Draft and also no surprise he eventually took his name out to return to UK for his senior season to improve his 3-point shooting and overall game.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander on his podcast last week that Oweh has “so much more to his ceiling”

Pope told Norlander that summer workouts “focus on skill, understanding and IQ” and Oweh was the one leading the charge to keep a relentless pace.

“Otega Oweh, coming in the summer after he’d gone through the entire NBA process, after he had one of the historic seasons as a player at Kentucky — which is hard to do — with no break comes in here,” Pope said.

“He did things defensively this summer that I would walk off the floor and be like, ‘I don’t even understand what I’m seeing on the court.’ It’s a real credit to him.”

Pope was not done praising Oweh’s defensive potential.

“He’s growing as a defensive player. I think he has a chance to be the top defensive player in the country, the most versatile,” Pope said.

Kentucky needs to be a better defensive team this season. Pope brought in transfers Mo Dioubate, Denzel Aberdeen and Jayden Quaintance to enhance UK’s defense and Oweh becoming an elite defender certainly would be a huge bonus.

Pope also sees other ways Oweh is getting better and could not only be one of the best players in the SEC, but in the nation.

“He’s spending a ton of time growing in his decision-making and as a playmaker,” he said. “I think he actually has a chance to become an elite-level playmaker.”