Otega Oweh Faces Former Team Again - And History Says That’s Bad News for Oklahoma
When Otega Oweh takes the floor at Rupp Arena on Wednesday night, he won’t just be suiting up for Kentucky - he’ll be stepping into a familiar role: the Sooner slayer. The former Oklahoma guard has made a habit of saving his best basketball for the team he once called his own, and now he gets his third shot at them, this time with the Wildcats hosting a struggling OU squad that’s reeling and vulnerable.
Oweh, now Kentucky’s leading scorer, has been a revelation since transferring out of Norman. He spent two seasons with the Sooners under Porter Moser, where he showed flashes of potential - averaging 11.4 points and starting 28 of 32 games in his final year - but never quite reached the level he’s hit in Lexington. Since arriving at Kentucky, he’s found another gear, and nowhere is that more evident than in his performances against his former team.
Let’s rewind to last season. Oklahoma had just entered the SEC, and Oweh made his return to Lloyd Noble Center - a building he knew well, but this time as the enemy.
The crowd booed. Oweh responded.
He erupted for a career-high 28 points, including an astonishing 18 straight to close the game, capped off by a cold-blooded game-winner that stunned the Sooners and silenced the home crowd. It was the kind of performance that leaves a mark - not just on the box score, but on a program.
And when the Sooners got another crack at him in the SEC Tournament? Same story.
Oweh dropped 27 more, including a coast-to-coast drive in the final seconds for another game-winning layup. Two games.
Two wins. Two heartbreakers for Oklahoma.
And Oweh was the one holding the dagger both times.
Now, he’s averaging 16.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.9 steals across 22 starts this season for Kentucky, leading a 15-7 team that’s building momentum. But when he sees crimson and cream on the other side of the court, those numbers jump.
In two games vs. OU, Oweh’s averaging 27.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals - a stat line that reads like a revenge tour highlight reel.
It’s not just that he plays well against Oklahoma - it’s that he seems to take it personally. And with the Sooners in the middle of an eight-game skid and Porter Moser’s seat getting warmer by the week, this matchup has all the makings of another long night for OU. The optics aren’t great: a former player thriving elsewhere, lighting up the team that let him walk, while the current roster struggles to keep its head above water.
For Kentucky, this is a chance to keep climbing. For Oweh, it’s another opportunity to show just how far he’s come - and how costly Oklahoma’s loss has been.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT. And if history’s any guide, Oweh’s just getting started.