No hard sell, but a hard decision for Kentucky's Otega Oweh at NBA Draft deadline

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The clock is ticking, and Otega Oweh has a choice to make — chase his NBA dream now or return to Kentucky to try to raise his stock.

The Wildcats’ leading scorer has until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to decide whether he’ll remain in the NBA Draft or come back to Lexington for a second season under new coach Mark Pope.

Oweh, a 6-foot-4-inch guard who averaged 16.2 points per game and brought energy on both ends of the floor, has drawn significant NBA interest. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, he’s received “really, really good” feedback from NBA teams in recent days.

Still, it’s unclear whether that interest will be enough to push him into the first round — Oweh’s stated goal. He’ll make a decision, Pope told The Cats’ Pause magazine’s Darrell Bird, after a final workout Wednesday.

“This is a decision that’s going to depend on his ticker,” Pope said. “Because that’s what’s going to carry him through the next year.”

If Oweh returns, he would be the centerpiece of a Kentucky team that many outlets project among the top five in the country. Money isn’t expected to be a deciding factor — between NIL opportunities and his current draft projections, his financial outlook is strong either way.

But with a bigger college role comes bigger expectations — and bigger defensive targets on his back.

Kentucky’s roster picture became a bit clearer this week, with Pittsburgh transfer Jaland Lowe choosing to withdraw from the draft. Lowe averaged nearly 17 points, 5.5 assists and just over two steals per game for the Panthers last season and is expected to be a key contributor in Pope’s backcourt.

Pope has been consistent in giving Oweh time and space to weigh all the considerations.

“Otega has earned this right to make the decision,” Pope told Bird. “He’s an incredibly special person with an incredibly bright future and I’m just excited to help in any way that I can with him to look deep inside himself and find out what he wants to wear.”

These kinds of draft-night decisions have become common at Kentucky. But for a player like Oweh — a proven college star, but a borderline NBA call — the stakes feel especially high.

“He’s been dreaming about playing in the NBA for a long time,” Pope said. “So if he thinks, ‘This is my moment and I’ve got to go,’ then he has to go. That’s what we want for him.

“But if he feels like, ‘My heart is telling me I’ve got unfinished business at Kentucky,’ and he wants to run this back, then that’s what he needs to do.”

No hard sell, but a hard decision for Kentucky’s Otega Oweh at NBA Draft deadline | Sports

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