With one bold quote, Otega Oweh, the explosive transfer guard, drew a line in the sand: the Mark Pope era isn’t about chasing ghosts of glory — it’s about carving a new legacy, with new weapons, new energy, and a hunger that Kentucky hasn’t seen in years.
“We hear the chatter that it’s not the same as the old Kentucky. Good. It’s not. It’s something new. It’s something dangerous,” Oweh said, with a fire in his voice that spoke volumes.
For years, Kentucky was known for star-studded recruiting classes, NBA factories, and the ghost of national titles past. But as critics question the future of the program following John Calipari’s departure, Oweh and his teammates have embraced the skepticism as fuel.
This isn’t the polished, pretty Kentucky. This is a grittier, nastier, more defiant version — one that thrives on being doubted.
Oweh, who transferred from Oklahoma, has quickly become a tone-setter in the locker room. His quote wasn’t just words — it was a war cry for a team that’s built on toughness, not entitlement.
“We’ve got guys who had to fight for minutes, who weren’t handed anything. We’re all dogs in this room,” Oweh added. “They think we’re soft because we’re new. They’re about to find out how wrong they are.”
Coach Mark Pope has constructed a roster with an edge — a group of transfer veterans and under-the-radar stars who play with chip-on-the-shoulder mentality. It’s a team that doesn’t care about preseason rankings or blue-blood prestige. It cares about one thing: proving the world wrong.
And in Oweh, Pope has a voice that speaks for the whole room.
This isn’t your old Kentucky. This is ours now,Oweh said. “And we’re coming.
The chatter may continue. The doubters may speak louder. But inside the walls of the Joe Craft Center, Kentucky basketball isn’t looking back.
