In the wake of an ugly, disjointed 84-70 exhibition loss to Georgetown, Kentucky’s leader didn’t hide, deflect, or sugarcoat. Otega Oweh, who led the Wildcats with 17 points, but shot just 4-12, stepped up and offered a blunt assessment of his team’s performance and a firm promise for its future.
“It felt good, got to play with my teammates,” Oweh said, to Goose Givens on the radio before quickly adding, “exhibition but we can learn from this.”
And there is a lot to learn from.
'We just have to be sharper. No excuse.'
The offense, so fluid against Purdue, was a stagnant mess Thursday night. The Wildcats shot a dismal 33.3% from the field (20-for-60) and an even worse 23.3% from three-point range (7-for-30), including an ice-cold 0-for-12 from deep in the second half.
While Kentucky was shorthanded, playing without starting point guard Jaland Lowe and key veteran Denzel Aberdeen, Oweh refused to use that as a crutch.
“We didn't do a good job of getting into out sets. Georgetown was very physical but we always have counters,” Oweh explained. “We always have next man up mentality… We just have to be sharper. No excuse.”
Pope’s core message: Pride and effort
Oweh said the primary message from Mark Pope postgame wasn't about complex schemes, but about the fundamentals of effort and identity, two things that were clearly lacking as Georgetown shot 55.4% from the field.
“Everything is we gotta give 100 percent when we step on the court,” Oweh relayed. “Coach Pope was really vocal about playing hard and take pride in playing in this jersey.”
That lack of pride was evident on the defensive end. To keep that defensive consistency moving forward, Oweh said the solution is simple. “We just have to stay sharp and pay attention to details. That starts in practice, not taking plays off… When things get rough we have to communicate even more.”
A promise for the opener
With the jarring reality check of an exhibition loss now behind them, the focus immediately shifts to the official season opener against Nicholls State on Tuesday night. For Oweh, the path forward is clear.
“We are going to be super locked in,” he said definitively. “We are going to bounce back with even more intensity… We are going to be keying in, in the next couple days.” That is something that is worrying though. Why were you not locked in for this one? Teams that treat a game as meh, even an exhibition, have a tendency to let that happen again later in the season.
For fans looking for a silver lining, Oweh, who attacked the basket all night (8-for-11 from the free-throw line) and played 26 minutes, said he is physically ready for the season.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion