Kentucky basketball just got some good news about one of its key players, as they'll be returning to the team after withdrawing from the NBA Draft, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
“NEWS: Kentucky's Otega Oweh has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and will return to the Wildcats for his senior season, agent Wilmer Jackson of Spencer Sports told ESPN. Massive news for Mark Pope to return his team's leading scorer from last season,” Givony wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Oweh posted on Instagram announcing that he would be returning for Kentucky.
“This year exceeded all my expectations,” Oweh said in the caption. “Through all the highs and the lows, I found a family in Kentucky forever. So let’s run it back: I’m staying home.”
In his first season with Kentucky, Oweh averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 35.5 percent from the perimeter. After the regular season, he was named a Second-Team All-SEC selection.
Article Continues BelowIn their Round of 64 win over Troy, Oweh finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. With that statline, he became the first Kentucky player since Walter McCarty in 1996 to register 20+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in an NCAA Tournament game.
Oweh had a season where he had 13 games of 20+ points, which also included a career-high 28 points and a game-winner against Oklahoma. With him coming back next season, Oweh can establish himself as a first-round pick going into the 2026 NBA Draft.
He had a nice showing at the NBA Draft Combine, and hopefully, he was able to take some things away from that experience to bring back to his game in college.
It will be interesting to see what Kentucky looks like next season, and Oweh will be a big part of how successful they can be moving forward in the program.