Mark Pope and his Kentucky Wildcats are gearing up for year two in the new era in Lexington.
Pope has been working hard to reload his veteran roster in the transfer portal and has brought in some young stars like Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno.
One name that is still debating on returning to Lexington or declaring for the draft is Otega Oweh.
Oweh is coming off a breakout season with Pope and the Wildcats and quickly became one of the most important pieces to the team’s success.
SB Nation’s Mike Rutherford believes Oweh is one of 12 NBA Draft decisions that could make or break their respective teams.
Rutherford wrote, “After transferring in from Oklahoma, Oweh was a breakout star for Mark Pope in his first season at Kentucky. The 6’4 guard led the Wildcats in scoring at 16.1 ppg, and consistently showcased an explosive athleticism that the college basketball world had only caught glimpses of during his time in Norman.
“Pope has once again loaded up in the portal, and Kentucky figures to be a preseason top 10 team with or without Oweh, but its national title hopes will receive a significant boost if they can get the elite slasher and on-ball defender back to Lexington for one more run.”
With all the additions to the team’s roster, Rutherford sees Kentucky as a top-10 caliber team with or without Oweh. This is a bold claim, considering some preseason rankings have Kentucky just outside the top 10, even with Oweh expected to return. Kentucky has a world of potential, even without Oweh, but potential doesn’t always equate to wins.
Oweh was Kentucky’s engine last season, especially after the team lost Jaxson Robinson to a season-ending injury, so he would be a massive keeper for a talented roster coming in.
A senior Oweh would instantly be a veteran who has played in Pope’s system, which will only boost this promising roster even more.
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