Fans lined up to get autographs from Otega Oweh at UK's Hoops & Heels. (Vicky Graff Photo)
A year ago when I wrote the University of Kentucky preseason story for Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, I did not list Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh as a probably starter for coach Mark Pope’s first UK team.
I didn’t know a lot about Oweh and thought Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea and Kerr Kriisa all likely would be ahead of him on the depth chart.
Of course, the 6-foot-4 Oweh turned out to be UK’s most consistent player and leading scorer (16.2 points per game). Because of that Oweh has been named the Southeastern Conference’s preseason pick for SEC Player of the Year in voting from a select panel of both SEC and national media members.
Oweh scored in double figures in UK’s fist 26 games last year and had 33 double figure scoring games last season. He set career-best marks in points per game, rebounds per game (4.7), assists per game (1.7), steals per game (1.6), blocks per game (0.5) and free-throw percentage (.776). Oweh also led the Cats in steals with 57. He was a second-team All-SEC selection.
Oweh was joined by Florida’s Alex Condon, Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard, Auburn’s Thad Pettiford and Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr. on the preseason All-SEC First Team.
Kentucky junior point guard Jaland Lowe, a Pittsburg transfer, was named to the preseason all-SEC third team. He was a third team Atlantic Coast Conference pick last season when he averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He was one of just eight players in the country to average at least 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He had 26 double-figure scoring games and reached the 20-point mark a team-leading 10 times.
