Otega Oweh Selected to Watch List for Jerry West Award
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – Adding to his preseason accolades, Kentucky senior guard Otega Oweh was named to preseason watch list for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
The list features 20 players as candidates to watch for the prestigious Jerry West Award, which has recognized that top shooting guard in college basketball since its inception in 2015. Kentucky star Malik Monk was the recipient of the honor in 2017. Oweh and Florida’s Xaivian Lee are the two players from the Southeastern Conference on the preseason watch list.
Oweh has garnered plenty of national attention in the lead up to the 2025-26 season. He was chosen as the preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year by the media and has been tabbed a preseason All-American by several outlets including CBS, Blue Ribbon and ESPN’s Jay Bilas.
The Newark, New Jersey native enjoyed a breakout season in his first year in Blue and White. He led the Cats in scoring at 16.2 points per game and began the year by topping double figures in each of the first 26 contests and 33 overall. Oweh set career-best marks in points per game, rebounds per game (4.7), assists per game (1.7), steals per game (1.6), blocks per game (0.5) and free-throw percentage (.776). In addition to his offensive prowess, Oweh also led the Cats in steals with 57 on the season.
A season ago he was a second-team All-SEC selection and earned National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District First-Team honors.
Oweh joins teammate Jaland Lowe as Kentucky players on preseason watch lists for the Naismith Hall of Fame’s positional awards. Lowe was named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list on Monday.
Fans are encouraged to participate in voting in each of the three rounds for the Naismith awards starting on Friday, October 31. In late January, all lists will be narrowed down to 10 players before that group is cut to five in February. Winners will be announced at a to be determined date.
The Wildcats will hold their second exhibition contest this Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. ET against the Georgetown Hoyas. The game will air digitally on SEC Network+. UK opens the regular season inside Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4 against Nicholls.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
