Without Otega Oweh, there wouldn't have even been a second-round game for Kentucky to lose and the fact that the senior guard won't be in the Sweet 16 is tough to take.
But as disappointing as the loss to Iowa State was, Oweh's season and his efforts during his two years with the Wildcats have been superb. Today was no different as he fought off a nagging hand injury and did everything he could to keep Kentucky in the game, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Otega Oweh walks off the court for the final time as a Kentucky Wildcat.
— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) March 22, 2026
A tough end to a great two year career at Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/AE8VrBwFJ5
Oweh was reflective in his post-game comments:
"I just want to say thank you to BBN, these past two years have been amazing. Thank you coach (Mark) Pope obviously for bringing me in. We fell short this year, but, you know, I am sure the guys next year will come in and remember this and get the job done because playing here at Kentucky, that is what the fans and everybody deserves is to win," Oweh said.
Otega Oweh's career at Kentucky comes to a close
Oweh's weekend puts the tournament experience in perspective. On Friday, he was the hero — the man that saved Kentucky's season with a game-tying 3-pointer. The Wildcats won in overtime and for a minute it felt like that shot could be the thing that would start an amazing tournament run. But it was just a moment and by the second half of Sunday's game against Iowa State, it was clear the Wildcats didn't have the juice to move into the second week.
There will be questions about the future of Kentucky basketball and whether Mark Pope will be part of that, but right now it's time to appreciate Oweh for everything he gave as a Wildcat.
t"Obviously, I’m disappointed we didn't get it done this year, but I mean these past two years have been amazing, life-changing," Oweh added. "I am just thankful for my teammates that I played with last year, this year — I definitely will never forget it, for sure,"o