Kentucky’s Leading Scorer Otega Oweh Declares for NBA Draft, Projected Undrafted by ESPN
Kentucky’s leading scorer Otega Oweh has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony currently projects Oweh to go undrafted, ranking him No. 77 in his updated top 100 prospects list.
With only 59 picks in this year’s draft, Oweh’s projection suggests he may return to Lexington for another season — a move that could help solidify Kentucky as a preseason top-5 team.
A Second Team All-SEC selection, Oweh averaged a team-high 16.2 points along with 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 steals, starting all 36 games for the Wildcats. The Oklahoma transfer scored in double figures in 33 contests, including 13 games with 20+ points. His standout performances included a career-high 28 points and game-winner against his former team in Norman, and 27 more in a buzzer-beating win over Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament.
In the NCAA Tournament opener, Oweh became the first UK player since Walter McCarty in 1996 to post 20+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a single tournament game, helping UK to a 76–57 win over Troy.
With 584 total points, Oweh ranks third among Kentucky transfers for single-season scoring — trailing only Antonio Reeves (667 in 2023–24) and Oscar Tshiebwe (590 in 2021–22). Initially ranked No. 31 in the transfer portal by 247Sports, he rose to No. 7 in the final rankings.
Oweh has until April 26 to officially declare and until June 15 to withdraw and retain his eligibility. The NBA Draft Combine, set for May 11–18 in Chicago, will be a key barometer for his draft stock.
Elsewhere on ESPN’s top 100, Kentucky guard Koby Brea is the only Wildcat projected to be drafted at No. 56. Amari Williams (No. 63), Jaxson Robinson (No. 81), and Andrew Carr (No. 97) also made the list.
Kentucky has had at least one player drafted in 17 straight years — the longest active streak in college basketball — and boasts a 15-year run of producing a first-round pick, the longest in the common draft era.
Head coach Mark Pope has reeled in his second consecutive top-5 transfer class, ranked No. 4 by 247Sports behind St. John’s, Michigan, and Louisville. All five incoming transfers are among the top 65 prospects. UK also signed 4-star high school recruits Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno, and Croatian forward Andrija Jelavic.
The Wildcats return key reserves Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, and Trent Noah from a team that went 24–12 and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
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