Otega Oweh, the top scorer from Mark Pope’s first season as Kentucky’s head coach, has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean his time with the Wildcats is over. On Tuesday evening, Oweh announced that he’s entered the draft pool while preserving his NCAA eligibility, leaving the door open for a return to Kentucky for his senior year. If he withdraws from the draft, he will be back in a Wildcats uniform for the 2025-26 season.
In an Instagram post, Oweh thanked Big Blue Nation, calling his time at Kentucky a dream come true and expressing gratitude for the support from fans, friends, and family as he officially declared for the draft.
Despite not being the most high-profile of Kentucky’s transfer additions last offseason, Oweh quickly established himself as the team’s most reliable scorer. He opened the season with 26 straight games in double figures and, after that streak ended, exploded for a career-best 28 points in a dramatic win at Oklahoma — a team he played for during his first two college seasons. He later hit a game-winning shot to beat Oklahoma again in the SEC Tournament. Oweh finished the season averaging 16.2 points per game, shooting 49.2% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range. He and teammate Amari Williams were the only Wildcats to start all 36 games.
Known primarily for his defense when he arrived at Kentucky, Oweh became a key two-way player in Pope’s up-tempo system, forming a strong defensive duo with point guard Lamont Butler. While his offensive game has blossomed, Oweh is not yet considered a sure pick in the draft — ESPN currently ranks him No. 86 in its top 100 prospects, and he’s not listed in The Athletic’s latest mock draft.
Oweh has until May 28 at 11:59 p.m. EDT to decide whether to stay in the draft or return to college. The NBA Draft is set for June 25. Should he come back to Kentucky, he’d likely be a preseason all-SEC pick and a centerpiece of a Wildcats team expected to compete at a high level nationally.
Kentucky has added several key pieces this offseason, including transfers Jaland Lowe, Kam Williams, Mouhamed Dioubate, Jayden Quaintance, and Croatian forward Andrija Jelavic. They’ll join top recruits Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno. Returning players include forward Brandon Garrison and freshmen Collin Chandler, Trent Noah, and Travis Perry. Players have until April 22 to enter the transfer portal.
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