Otega Oweh Hauls in Preseason Laurels from NABC, SEC
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Continuing to rack up recognitions ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, Kentucky senior guard Otega Oweh added two more honors to a quickly growing list on Thursday.
Oweh was named to the preseason watch list for the 2026 NABC Division I Player of the Year award, while also being tabbed the Southeastern Conference Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s coaches.
The NABC Player of the Year watch list features 20 talents, including five from the SEC. Oweh joins conference foes Nate Ament (Tennessee), Alex Condon (Florida), Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn) and Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama) among those recognized preseason for the prestigious national award, which has been bestowed each year dating back to 1975. Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe is UK’s most recent past winner, earning the honor in 2022.
A nationwide vote of Division I head coaches at the conclusion of the regular season will ultimately decide this year’s recipient, which will be announced the week of the 2026 Men’s Final Four.
Also on Thursday, the SEC announced Oweh as the coaches’ pick for SEC Preseason Player of the Year, his second such nod in recent weeks as the Wildcat star was already dubbed preseason player of the year by the media earlier this month.
Oweh is joined by Philon Jr., Pettiford, Condon and Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard on the coaches’ preseason first team.
Coming off a breakout season in his first year with the Wildcats, Oweh has frequented preseason award lists ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. He was chosen as a preseason All-American by several outlets including CBS, Blue Ribbon, The Field of 68 and ESPN’s Jay Bilas. Earlier this week, Oweh was named to the preseason watch list for the Jerry West Award, which recognizes the top shooting guard in college basketball.
Oweh led the Cats in scoring at 16.2 points per game last season and began the year by topping double figures in each of the first 26 contests and 33 overall. The native of Newark, New Jersey 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.
He was a second-team All-SEC selection and earned NABC All-District First-Team honors as a junior.
The Wildcats will hold their second exhibition contest tonight 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.
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