Few players have taken the Big Blue Nation by storm like Otega Oweh did with his arrival this past season. A lot was new in Lexington last year, but #00 stuck out for a number of reasons; namely, his infectious energy on the court and the high odds that he was going to put an opponent on a poster on any given night.

Now, Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft. He made the announcement on social media, calling Kentucky fans the “best fans in the world.”

While this may seem dire for folks keeping tabs on next year’s roster, that last line in Oweh’s announcement is crucial: “…while maintaining my NCAA eligibility.” Essentially, Otega’s time in Lexington is far from over, at least for the time being.

Whether or not “Tegatron” returns to Rupp will likely depend on what he hears during the draft process, and where exactly he wants to land. In the modern college basketball landscape, it’s become common practice for players to “test the waters” in the draft, just to get an idea as to where they stand with the league, before returning to college for another year of development.

Take, for example, Jaxson Robinson just last season. Before his eventual transfer to Kentucky, Robinson declared for the draft out of BYU, maintaining his eligibility, before pulling from the process in order to spend his senior year at Kentucky. It happens all the time.

While that doesn’t necessarily set Oweh’s return in stone, it at least gives the Big Blue Nation to take a breather and keep calm, as his departure is far from official. Either way, #00 is a Lexington legend whose first go-around in Kentucky blue was as memorable as anyone’s could be. The “Oweh, Oweh, Oweh” chants will go on regardless.

Brandon Garrison isn’t going anywhere. 

The 6-foot-10 forward will be returning to the Kentucky Wildcats for his junior season in the 2025-26 campaign. 

Garrison took to social media first, posting a story on his personal Instagram that showed a simple graphic reading the words “I’m back.”

Speculation and rumors have swirled around the Oklahoma native all offseason, and with the addition of Andrija Jelavic, Big Blue Nation worried that Garrison would be hitting the portal sooner than later. 

Now, with his returning announcement public, Garrison will look to assert himself in the offseason as a dominant force that deserves the starting role.

Last season, he backed up Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

It’s unclear if he’s guaranteed anything in regards to a starting spot. However, having played a year already in Mark Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the role over one of the transfer pickups. 

Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly confident in the development of “BG” and see him as a vocal leader on and off the court. 

With a full offseason ahead where he’ll be harnessing his skill set and bettering his game in any way possible, Kentucky fans will be glad that Garrison chose to stick around another year. 

“They’re gonna get a winner.”

That was Jayden Quaintance’s first response when he was asked, in an interview with the Field of 68 podcast, what Kentucky fans should expect from his commitment. “I go out to win every game I play.”

While many recruits change schools and the transfer portal is essentially the primary way to build a team in college basketball today, few players commit to a school, leave, and then are welcomed back with open arms. Quaintance’s case, however, is unique.

The five-star big had originally committed to Kentucky under John Calipari for the 2024-25′ season; once Cal left for Arkansas, like almost everybody else, Quaintance exercised the same option.

He’d go on to spend his freshman year at Arizona State where, before suffering an ACL injury that put him out for the season, he averaged nine points, eight boards, and a staggering three blocks per game. By all metrics, he’s one of the most tenacious and effective defenders in the nation when he’s on the floor.

And now? He’s back in Kentucky blue, for real this time.

“The best fit for me”

“The coach showed the most interest out of anybody I talked to. He seemed really excited to have me here…” said Quaintance, of being recruited to Kentucky by Mark Pope the second time around. “So I feel like this was the best fit for me, especially with Pope being like a bigger player… he kind of knows what I have to go through and what I have to work on really well.”

Quaintance also praised Pope’s offensive system, calling it “open,” and focusing on his ability to play in space and “make the next pass.” There are few scoring minds as proficient as Coach Pope’s, and plugging Quaintance into a system like Kentucky’s should mean endless opportunities for his game to grow on that end.

Regarding his injury, Quaintance expects to be back on the court in contact play by September, two months before the 2025-26′ season begins. “Recovery has been going really well,” he said.

The stars seem to be aligning for Kentucky to have “JQ” ready for action by tipoff this fall, and much like Kentucky fans, he’s got eyes on the prize: “We have a real chance to win a national title.”

Mark Pope understands the assignment, and so do the players he recruits.