Otega Oweh has a non-stop competitive motor. (Vicky Graff Photo)
No surprise that the first question Kentucky coach Mark Pope was asked at the podium during Southeastern Conference Media Days Tuesday in Birmingham dealt with senior Otega Oweh.
Not only was he UK’s leading scorer last season in Pope’s first year at UK, but he was also named preseason SEC Player of the Year Monday.
Oweh has been slowed by a foot injury during summer and preseason workouts but apparently is close to full speed again.
“If you’re going to have a guy miss the first couple weeks of practice, he really has been out for almost 10 weeks now, he’s the guy to do it,” said Pope. “There’s always concern with health. We’re just moving him back into the rotation.
“He actually was in practice a couple days ago in his first live scrimmage, really his first possession of live scrimmage. We’re all kind of walking on eggshells. He got a steal, raced down the floor, outside the free throw, dunked it. As a coach you shake your head. Young people. We love these young people.”
Pope knows as much as he might have preferred Oweh not dunk that it is not in his DNA not to go all out.
“Otega is a guy where you cannot turn off his competitive motor. He’s been through this. He understands it. He knows what he’s in for. He understands the pressure of the moment, he understands everything that Kentucky is. He embraces it. He can’t get enough of it,” Pope said.
“I don’t have a lot of concerns about him. Obviously we like all of our guys to stay healthy.”
Pope was also asked about the Associated Press preseason poll that had Kentucky No. 9 and rival Louisville No. 11. The two play each other in mid-November.
“I think it’s good for the game when the teams with great tradition are good. Like, I mean, how fun was the NBA last year with the Knicks being good finally again? It makes everything feel right,” Pope said.
He also found the right karma in the ranking since UK would love to win national championship No. 9 this season.
“I was elated that we came in at No. 9. We see 9 everywhere we go. We think 9 is in our future destiny. We’re chasing it hard. I was really thrilled with that,” Pope said.
