Otega Oweh Could Use Some Help From His Kentucky Teammates
The Kentucky Wildcats have not started the 2025–26 season the way many expected, and one major factor has been the underwhelming performance of Otega Oweh. Coming into the season, Oweh was named the SEC Preseason Player of the Year and was expected to be a leading force for Kentucky.
However, he has struggled to reach the elite level fans anticipated. In Kentucky’s two losses so far, Oweh was outperformed by opposing stars—Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. and Michigan State’s Jaxson Kohler—while he found it difficult to make an impact.
Oweh also appears different from the aggressive player Kentucky fans watched last season. He has focused more on three-point and pull-up shooting rather than attacking the rim, likely because improving his jump shot has been emphasized as key to his professional future. While important, this shift may have gone too far, and his teammates aren’t helping enough to balance the offense.
Oweh thrives when his teammates consistently hit outside shots, forcing defenses to guard the perimeter closely and opening driving lanes for him. But Kentucky’s three-point shooting has dipped—currently 32.7% from deep compared to 37.4% last season. Although the roster includes capable shooters, only Collin Chandler has shown reliability so far.
The Wildcats expect improvement once Jaland Lowe returns, which should boost the team’s perimeter accuracy and help Oweh regain his natural rhythm as a slasher.
For now, Kentucky fans are encouraged to be patient. All Oweh may need is one strong performance to restore his confidence and get back to the level he showed last year.
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