The current climate in college hoops and the NBA Draft scene is highly inconsistent. In past years, top prospects usually had clear projections and firm guarantees before making the leap. But this year, a number of college players withdrew their names from the draft after finding uncertainty in their draft stock.
Otega Oweh was among those who declared for the 2025 NBA Draft. He was considered an emerging first-round candidate, but the pick he hoped for wasn’t guaranteed. After evaluating the situation following his NBA Combine performance, the Kentucky guard decided to return to college. Oweh recently sat in a media session to address reporters’ questions. There was clear positivity in his remarks about the Wildcats’ locker room, and he gave full credit to head coach Mark Pope for creating that supportive atmosphere.
Otega Oweh Credits Mark Pope for Transforming Kentucky’s Locker Room
This year, players have a lot of chances to make money through NIL deals. So, if they don’t get the feedback they want about their draft spot, they can go back to school. This now makes the draft process feel more uncertain and harder to predict.
Oweh also chose his college NIL deals over a pro league career. The All-SEC guard tested the NBA waters, didn’t get the assurance he wanted about his draft stock, and chose to return to Kentucky. Now that he’s back, Oweh is already enjoying the team’s new vibe under their new head coach.
As the Wildcats get ready for the 2025–26 season, Oweh said the team is already working well together and gave credit to coach Pope for bringing the group together. In a recent media session, he said, “We started clicking really quickly. I guess everyone knows that when it’s a new team, you got to click really fast.”
“So I mean, we haven’t started workouts yet, but we’ve seen everybody in the gym every single day, multiple times a day, so that’s always a good sign. And then, you know, the characteristics of the group, I feel like Coach Pope does a good job of recruiting good guys,” he added.
The 6-foot-4 guard was Kentucky’s leading scorer last season. He averaged 16.2 points per game, along with 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He shot an impressive 49.2% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range. So, his return gives a big boost to Kentucky’s championship hopes.
Since coming back, he wants to improve his draft stock for next year. His goal is clear, and he wants to win it all. “It was just going through the process and then just seeing and hearing where teams will take you, and it’s like, if I have one more year, I can just go back and improve that stock,” Oweh said recently.
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He added, “If I go back and we win the whole thing, everyone wins. That was kind of the biggest thing for me, and it just really felt like we had unfinished business.”
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For now, interest will mostly focus on how his withdrawal affects the 2025 NBA Draft. But some college basketball fans and analysts will also keep an eye on how he prepares himself under coach Pope.
