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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Player Spotlight: Otega Oweh

Published

2 years ago

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Get to know more about Kentucky transfer Otega Oweh before the 2024-25 Kentucky basketball season.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Of the 13 new players that Mark Pope and Co. recruited this offseason, only five have Power 5 experience. One of those is Otega Owegh, a junior transfer from Oklahoma.

Otega Oweh

  • Position: Guard
  • Height: 6-4
  • Weight: 215 lbs.
  • Class: Junior
  • Hometown: Newark, New Jersey
  • High School: Blair Academy
  • Previous School: Oklahoma
  • Recruiting Ranking: Four-star recruit ranked No. 70 overall and No. 5 among shooting guards in the Class of 2022 via 247 Sports Composite. Four-star transfer, ranked No. 31 overall.

Oweh’s parents were born in and immigrated from Nigeria. While he was born in New Jersey, they instilled a hard work ethic in Otega and his three siblings at an early age.

“You come here, you work hard, and you make it, and so that was what we projected,” his mother Tania told ESPN in 2021. “That’s what we believed would be the pathway for us, and ultimately, our kids.”

Along with a great work ethic, good genetics always help. His two older brothers found athletic success at Penn State. The eldest, Odafe was a star linebacker for the Nittany Lions and now plays for the Baltimore Ravens after being drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2021. The middle and other brother Kaylen was a basketball walk-on for Penn State.

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Originally playing football, like his older brother, Otega fell in love with basketball going into high school. “I played football until middle school and then I switched to basketball,” Otega said. “I just loved it more. I wasn’t really interested in football as much.”

Despite playing a different sport, he was still inspired by his older brother Odafe.

“He just really pushed me,” Otega said. “He’s five years older than me so he’s at where I was trying to get to, so just at each level I was going to he just made sure I worked hard and just challenged me.”

Through his high school career, Otega played his way into a four-star ranking, capped off by helping Team Final win the Peach Jam Championship and winning Break Out Player of the Tournament. He committed to Oklahoma as its highest-ranked recruit in the 2022 class.

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Oweh did not start the first 19 games of his college career, averaging just nine minutes and just over three points per game. However, to close out the season, he started nine straight games and averaged nearly nine points per game. That progression continued as a sophomore as he became one of the most improved players in the Big 12, averaging double-figures for the first time in his career. One reason for that was an improved outside shot, increasing his three-point percentage from 25 percent to 37.7 percent.

Taking notice of his progression, elite athleticism, and high ceiling, Mark Pope recruited Oweh to Lexington. But why did he choose Kentucky?

“It was an easy decision,” Oweh said.

“The history is so rich. The plan that Coach Pope has for the program, I was intrigued with it. At the end of the day, I want to be a pro and this is one of the best places to do it. It was a no-brainer,” Oweh said via Kentucky Today.

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“It’s Kentucky. It’s the biggest stage in college basketball. It’s hard to turn that down.”

With two years of eligibility remaining, Otega will look to make his dreams a reality as a Wildcat. In the process, he will help build a new era of Kentucky basketball. According to practice reports, Oweh could be a big piece to this team as a strong two-way player.

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Men's Basketball

Star Forward Milan Momcilovic Chooses Kentucky Over Louisville and Arizona

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1 day ago

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June 1, 2026

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Photo via AOL

The wait is over BBN!

Milan Momcilovic has officially announced that he will be playing his senior year of college basketball at Kentucky, suiting up in the blue and white for Mark Pope and the Wildcats!

The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 16.9 points per game in the 2025-26 season, leading the nation in 3-pointers made (136) and percentage from deep (48.7%).

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Momcilovic is mostly ranked as No. 2 in most portal rankings, but ESPN has the former Cyclone as the No. 1 overall player. With that being said, this technically serves as Pope’s first No. 1 transfer during his tenure at Kentucky.

Pulling his name out of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27, Kentucky was seemingly the favorite to land the wing during the entire sweepstakes due to positional need, scheme fit and money available to spend. He could even play another year with the Kentucky Wildcats if the “5-in-5” rule is passed and he forgoes the draft again.

Putting Pat Kelsey in a locker and outbidding him on a recruit is always great for morale, but this fills the much-needed star spot for next year’s roster. Pope and his staff have shaped the team with plenty of skilled players, but Momcilovic adds that extra layer of shooting and will serve as the go-to guy when a game may be on the line.

This will be the final player added to the 2026-27 team, with an insert at the starting small forward position in Momcilovic’s future. Pope and the Big Blue Nation have their guy, and soon enough, we’ll see the Pewaukee, Wisconsin native on Rupp Arena’s court.

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Men's Basketball

National Reporter Matt Norlander Chooses Kentucky as Landing Spot for Star Forward Milan Momcilovic

Published

6 days ago

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May 28, 2026

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Photo via Imagn Images

The Milan Momcilovic sweepstakes is underway, with multiple teams involved in the No. 2 overall transfer player’s recruitment. It is believed that Kentucky and Louisville are the top candidates after his decision to pull out from the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27.

Along with the in-state rivals, Arizona and St. John’s are both very well still in the mix, but the Red Storm are slowly falling out of contention after landing Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou.

On May 28, national reporter Matt Norlander cleared the air on CBS Sports’ Eye On College Basketball podcast, stating that he believes Kentucky will land Momcilovic by the end of the weekend or Monday.

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“My prediction right now is that Milan Momcilovic will go to Kentucky,” Norlander said. “My understanding is that decision is going to come in the next one, two, three days, four days max.”

He would go on to talk about the other top programs involved, stating why he thinks they will be working in an uphill battle in this bidding war.

“My forecast is that it’s Kentucky, but you know, we’ll see if Louisville can get in there,” he continued. “Arizona I don’t think has the money to contend, like I think Kentucky and Louisville just have more money to play with.”

For the worried members of the Big Blue Nation, this is certainly good news to be put out by one of the most trusted college basketball reporters at the national level.

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Going by this report and Adam Zagoria’s from NYT Sports, it shouldn’t be long until a commitment decision for Momcilovic is announced publicly.

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Men's Basketball

BREAKING: No. 2 Ranked Transfer Milan Momcilovic Removes Name From 2026 NBA Draft

Published

6 days ago

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May 27, 2026

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Kamil Krzaczynski | Imagn Images

Milan Momcilovic has officially removed his named from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to college for his senior season.

Kentucky leads in his recruitment, followed closely by St. John’s, Louisville and Arizona. A backdoor to Iowa State is also still open.

The No. 2 ranked transfer would be a huge addition to Kentucky’s 2026-27 roster if he committed, averaging 16.9 points per game on 50.6/48.7/87.8 shooting splits last year. Funny enough, in the current world of college athletics that we live in, Momcilovic was responsible for eliminating the Wildcats from the NCAA Tournament, dropping 20 points in the Round of 32.

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He would go on to lose to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 with Iowa State, so at least we know that there’s some inner-hatred for a long-standing rival if he ends up a Wildcat.

He made the most three-point shots in Division I basketball and is a versatile 6-foot-8 wing, which would fit perfectly into Mark Pope’s offensive system. He completed workouts with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves during the draft process.

Now, the bidding war for the top dog begins, with some of the most prestigious programs in the sport placing their bets on the star forward.

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