Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope is a believer in his team. Pope says the Kentucky team should be even better this season, following the announcement that Otega Oweh is coming back. Oweh recently withdrew his name from the NBA Draft to come back to Lexington.

“He’s going to grow. He’s going to grow exponentially again,” Pope said, per On3. “He’s going to help us win a ton of games, and he’s going to play great basketball, and he’s going to be put in an even better position to be a pro. But, being able to watch that up close and be a part of that is the best part.”

Last year, Oweh averaged more than 16 points a game, while shooting 49 percent from the floor.

“He’s coming in as a marked man, right, with a ton of leadership responsibility on his shoulders,” Pope said. “To get to witness him grow through this next step in his evolution is a gift. Like, it’s, you know, that’s the best part.”

In his first campaign in Lexington, Pope led the Wildcats to the Sweet 16.

Mark Pope says things could get even better at Kentucky

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The Wildcats have one of the best transfer portal classes in the country. Kentucky acquired former Arizona State star Jayden Quaintance, along with several other key players.

The club also got the commitment of some talented freshmen, including guard Jasper Johnson and forward Braydon Hawthorne. Hawthorne had originally committed to West Virginia, but their coaching change caused him to re-open his commitment.

Pope has been able to ignite a flurry of new NIL money at Kentucky. Due to the recent House settlement, Kentucky and other schools can directly pay players. It seems that the Wildcats certainly will have the capital available to build a national championship roster.

The Kentucky basketball season tips off in the fall.