Otega Oweh managed to get the pass to Collin Chandler for the game-winning shot with Tennessee defenders all around him Saturday night. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky assistant coach Jason Hart had the perfect description for Otega Oweh after UK beat Oklahoma last week
“As coaches you always want to nitpick, but he’s a bad dude. Otega Oweh is a really good basketball player. He’s consistent. He’s our leader. Sometimes I can kinda be in awe watching him,” said Hart. “He’s been playing at a high level and that’s why he was preseason SEC player of the year.”
It’s also why he could be SEC Player of the Year if he continues to play the way he has during UK’s 8-1 surge in conference play.
He’s scored 20 or more points in 11 of UK’s last 15 games, including nine of 11 in SEC, after his 21-point performance in Saturday’s win over Tennessee. He has been in double figures all 24 games this season and 53 times in two seasons at UK. His 17 20-point games against SEC opponents in the last two season trail only the 19 by Antonio Reeves in the last 30 years.
Against Tennessee, he had two assists including the one on Collin Chandler’s game-winning 3-point shots with 33 seconds to play. He also had 21 points on 10 of 17 shooting.
“I think the strength of Otega Oweh is that he has a great of belief in himself and ability to make plays. It is exceptional stuff,” ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes said.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope likes what his “bad dude” can do and has been doing.
“It’s unbelievable what he does. It’s really incredible,” Pope said after the win over Tennessee. “I don’t think he was very pleased with his first-half (defense on Nate Ament). We switched. We actually moved him off 10 (Ament) and put Collin on 10 and Collin did a really admirable job in the second half and Otega did an unbelievable job on (Jakobi) Gillespie in the second half (and held him to 0-for-6 shooting).
“He had to manage every single possession working those highball screens and his defense is what was so much better in the second half. He brings it every night. He is just a warrior; his competitive spirit continues to grow.
“He’s putting together a season. I don’t know, he’s got to be somewhere in pretty exclusive company with what he’s doing in SEC play right now. It’s unbelievable how consistent he is. It’s pretty special.”
It is as this is clearly his team to lead and teammates are happy to following his lead.
“He’s just our go to guy, always has been. It’s not really a big deal when he scores 20 plus. That’s just something we count on him to do, and that’s something he does every game, and the most important thing is that he scores on all three levels,” UK teammate Andrija Jelavic said.
“It’s not just that he scores inside or outside. He’s forced three’s, mid-ranges, fancy rebounds. He scores slashing, and that’s really important for us. When he’s on the court, he’s our leader. He’s the oldest one, the most experienced one, we’re looking after him.”
UK Radio Network analyst Jack Givens said after the Tennessee game that Oweh’s wrist had been bothering him and he also recently turned his ankle.
“He’s got some stuff and needs rest (Kentucky does not play again until Saturday at Florida),” Givens said.
Oweh is averaging a team-high 17.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He also leads the team in steals with 42 and is second in assists with 61. He’s shooting 48.3 percent overall and 34.6 percent from 3 with 28 made 3’s. Oweh has also been to the foul line a team-high 141 times and is hitting 71.6 percent at the line.
He is the only player averaging 30 or more minutes per game at 30.6. However, in SEC play he’s playing 34 minutes per game.
“Every game he is taking that other team’s best player and he is answering the call to defend that guy,” Givens said. “I don’t think he has played the whole 40 minutes yet. That would be the next thing to put on him because he is doing everything else they are asking him to do.
“There will be a game where Mark says, ‘I can’t afford to take you out.’ There will come a game when he will go all 40 (minutes). I don’t know what else to put on him other than that.”
Oweh is open to whatever Pope needs him to do to help Kentucky keep winning.
“I am just trying to be the best two-way player I can be,” Oweh said. “I am trying to be the best in the country at that. It is a blessing to match up against the other team’s best player. I can set the tone on that as well as on the offensive end. It is a blessing to do that.”
6 Responses
Yes he is playing like the SEC player of the year. If we can find a way to beat Florida on the road we will somehow be #1 in the SEC. I would have never guessed this a month ago or even 3 weeks ago at that. As long as we keep winning Oweh will be at the top of the standings for player of the year. I think we can beat Florida but I think we will split the series with them. We need a big game from Aberdeen against Florida. He will probably be boo'd Everytime he touches the ball so he better be prepared for a very hostile atmosphere. They thought Aberdeen was going to be there starting 2 guard and we he left the had to get X. Lee. Which X. Lee is playing at a very high level right now. If Oweh Aberdeen and Chandler combine for at least 50 we will beat Florida if they don't we probably won't. I wish BG would play the way he does against Oklahoma against every team.
Not only Owen is doing his thing he's playing with a injury ankle and wrist. The week off will help him heal some.
He was named SEC Player of the Week today
On another subject common sense that
On another subject that Alabama player Bediako has been rule out can't play the rest of the season. That's good news shouldn't have been allowed to play begin with.
With you on that Cats79
If this team will just trust each other and not be selfish, they could finish the season 6-1. The X factors will be the play of Jelavic, Noah, and Johnson. All 3 have the ability to make multiple 3 pointers in every game. Garrison and Dioubate will also have to accept the fact that their game is within 5 feet of the basket and be beasts on the boards. Keep turnovers in the single digits, make 75% of free throws, take 15 three pointers per half, and switch everything on defense and this team will have a shot to win every remaining game. I know that is some very big IFs, but Oweh, Chandler, Aberdeen, and Moreno are playing well together as long as they don't panic and play hero ball.
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