Only 10 NCAA players have scored double digits in every game. This Wildcat is one.
Plenty of statistical trends have developed during Mark Pope’s first season as the Kentucky basketball coach. Perhaps the most surprising — and well received — of these relates to the offensive ability of junior guard Otega Oweh.
Oweh is in rarefied air this season when it comes to consistent scorers across college basketball. Oweh is one of only 10 NCAA Division I men’s basketball players who have scored at least 10 points in every game their team has played this season.
Furthermore, Oweh is one of only three high-major players — along with Purdue junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and Marquette senior guard Kam Jones — who have accomplished the feat. He’s also the only SEC player to hit this notable scoring mark.
Oweh has hit double-digit scoring in all 25 of UK’s games this season, and in 26 straight games overall dating back to his sophomore season at Oklahoma.
Oweh leads the Wildcats with an average of 16 points per game and has emerged as the breakout offensive star for the Wildcats this season.
“When I’m in the game, I’m just so locked into what’s going on, whatever happens, happens,” Oweh said this month about his scoring streak. “I just feel like if I go out there and have good energy and just play with a high motor it’s going to end up (with) whatever it is, which is ... 10 points and above.”
One of the major offseason question marks surrounding Pope’s first Kentucky squad related to who would be the “go-to” guy for the Wildcats on offense.
In some ways, this has been a by-committee approach: Six different UK players — Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Oweh, Jaxson Robinson and Amari Williams — have led the Cats in scoring in a game this season.
Oweh is the clear leader from this group, though. He’s led Kentucky in scoring in nine games, which is four more than UK’s next most frequent top scorer. (Brea has led UK in scoring in five games).
Oweh has been Kentucky’s leading scorer in each of the past four games, including Saturday night when he led the Wildcats with 20 points in a loss at Texas.
The fact Oweh has become Kentucky’s most dependable scorer this season is a bit of a surprise given what he did in his past college seasons at Oklahoma.
Oweh’s addition to Pope’s first Kentucky roster was initially praised for what it would do for the Wildcats on defense. Last season, Oweh had a top-100 steal percentage nationally.
The New Jersey native averaged 4.8 points per game across 28 games (nine starts) as a freshman at OU during the 2022-23 season. As a sophomore last season, Oweh averaged 11.4 points in 32 games (28 starts).
At Kentucky, Oweh has upped that per-game scoring average by nearly five points while starting every contest. Oweh’s availability has been of particular importance to Pope’s team, with a trio of fifth-year guards — Butler, Kerr Kriisa and Robinson — all currently out injured.
“I’m pretty confident in (acting as a lead guard) because when you’re a player you work on all different types of situations,” Oweh said. “Just a lot of the work that I’ve put in is going to show now. ... Everyone just has to step up, take (on) a little bit more than what they’re used to.”
Compared to his sophomore season at Oklahoma, this season Oweh is:
▪ Shooting worse from the field (48.8% compared to 49.3%).
▪ Shooting worse from 3-point range (33.3% compared to 37.7%).
▪ Shooting better from the foul line (75.9% compared to 64.3%).
Of course, these changes have come as Oweh’s shot volume has gone through the roof. On a per-game basis, this season Oweh is attempting nearly three more shots from the field, nearly one more 3-pointer and nearly two more free throws when compared to his sophomore season.
This has all come with Oweh being a key part of an elite Kentucky offense that finished Monday ranked fifth in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
“I just think it makes everyone else more aggressive,” Oweh said of what his scoring ability does for his teammates. “Whenever I’m out there, I’m just trying to lift up the energy, make the tempo go up a little higher. So I just hope that just allows everyone to be extra aggressive and makes the energy better. Because that’s my whole thing. I feel like I’m a big energy player and I just always want to uplift the team. So if that’s what my game does, I hope it just brings it out in everyone else, too.”
Otega Oweh is having historic scoring season for UK basketball
Oweh’s run of scoring consistency for the Wildcats has placed him alongside some elite players in UK program history.
With his 20-point effort against Texas on Saturday night, Oweh became the first UK player to score 10-plus points in 25 straight games since Malik Monk during the 2016-17 season. During that campaign, Monk scored in double figures in 30 straight games.
During the 2015-16 season, Jamal Murray scored in double figures in 34 straight games for Kentucky. During the 1985-86 season, Kenny Walker scored in double figures in 36 straight games.
If Oweh goes on to post double-digit scoring performances in all of Kentucky’s regular season games this season, that would give him 31 straight games as a UK player with 10-plus points.
UK has six more regular season contests left, starting with Wednesday’s home matchup against Vanderbilt.
“I’m so proud of him,” Pope said of Oweh this month. “He’s one of the guys, to be honest with you, before the season ... one of my curiosities about him was like, ‘What would his consistency feel like?’... He’s the only (SEC player to score at least 10 points in every game) right now, and that’s pretty special. And it’s a real credit to him. It’s a credit to him and how he’s built and what he’s made of. He is putting together a really extraordinary season.”
Wednesday
Vanderbilt at No. 17 Kentucky
When: 7 p.m.
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Vanderbilt 17-8 (5-7), Kentucky 17-8 (6-6)
Series: Kentucky leads 157-50
Last meeting: Vanderbilt won 74-69 on Jan. 25, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee
