Otega Oweh Scouting Deepdive

An in-depth scouting report on versatile Kentucky transfer, Otega Oweh.

One could argue that versatility is the most important trait for a basketball player to possess if they wish to make a name for themselves at the professional level. I act as a proponent of that argument more often than not when I write about prospects. That’s why I’ve long wanted to cover Kentucky transfer Otega Oweh, because he is one of the most versatile prospects in all of college basketball. Oweh heads into his junior campaign with the Wildcats as a premier two-way threat who simply needs some polishing before he transitions to the professional game, and I believe that under the tutelage of Mark Pope he will do just that. So, let’s spend the next few minutes breaking down Oweh’s game, how he will fit into a Mark Pope system, and what he may look like as an NBA prospect by the end of the season.  

---

Player Profile: 

Otega Oweh is a 6’5” and 215lb shooting guard from New Jersey who played his high school ball at Blair Academy. He was a consensus four-star recruit ranked in the top 100 by every major recruiting outlet. He showed out on the EYBL circuit, leading Team Final EYBL to a 17U Peach Jam title and being named the Breakout Player of the session. By the end of his prep career, he had committed to Oklahoma and head coach Porter Moser. 

In two years at Oklahoma, he cemented himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation while he improved as an overall offensive weapon. He made a major leap on the offensive end as a sophomore, arguably becoming the best all-around player on an Oklahoma team that spent most of last season ranked in the top 25 nationally. In his sophomore season he averaged 11.4 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.5 steals, and .4 blocks on shooting splits of 49.3% from the field, 37.7% from beyond the arc, and 64.3% from the free-throw line. 

After a disappointing end to Oweh’s sophomore season, he decided to enter his name into the transfer portal and would eventually commit to the University of Kentucky and head coach Mark Pope. He joins a team chock full of experienced collegiate contributors where he will be able to mold his game into a pro-style system and see what it takes to make the jump to the next level.  

---

Interior Scoring: 

The strongest aspect of Oweh’s offensive game is undoubtedly his interior scoring and rim pressure. He uses a myriad of tools and skills to elevate his game around the rim, including incredible vertical athleticism, downhill speed and acceleration, impressive strength, and solid finishing touch. As he continues to build on other parts of his offensive game, it will be his interior scoring that lays the groundwork for his overall output on this end of the floor.  

These three clips are great examples of Oweh’s ability to accelerate past his defender both from the perimeter and from the middle of the floor. In none of these examples is he moving at full speed, instead relying on wedging his hip on the inside of his defender to create a near unguardable advantage. This purposeful hip placement allows him to gain a step on his man, virtually nullifying the contest completely. He’s also excellent at knowing when an opposing rim deterrent isn’t in proper position, which is why he attacks the rim with such immediacy in these clips. In fact, the only clip above where the interior defender is present, Oweh uses his man as a makeshift human shield to separate him from the interior big.