With just over a month until the SEC tips off, the preseason Player of the Year race is heating up — and Kentucky’s Otega Oweh is right in the thick of it.
The senior guard led Mark Pope’s first UK team with 16.2 points per game last season, and with nearly all of last year’s SEC stars now in the NBA, Oweh enters as one of the few established veterans. But winning the league’s biggest individual prize has proven tricky: no preseason pick has actually gone on to win SEC Player of the Year since 2019.
So who could stand in Oweh’s way? Here are the biggest names (and teams) he’ll have to outshine:
Florida’s Loaded Lineup
Fresh off a national title, Todd Golden’s Gators are the preseason favorite to win the SEC. History shows that the best team often produces the league’s top individual.
Alex Condon looks like the safest bet, while Thomas Haugh and Boogie Fland both bring breakout potential. Add in Xaivian Lee and Rueben Chinyelu, and Florida’s stacked roster could easily produce the winner.
Alabama’s Labaron Philon
Philon was one of the SEC’s top freshmen last year, putting up 10.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in just under 25 minutes per game. With Alabama’s veterans gone, this is his team now — and he’s already proven he can torch Kentucky (21 points in last year’s SEC Tournament).
Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford
Bruce Pearl lost all five starters, but Pettiford stayed — and he’s ready to be the Tigers’ star. After averaging 11.6 points and drilling 70 threes last year, he’ll have the green light to dominate.
Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard
If scoring alone wins the award, Hubbard might already be the favorite. He averaged 18.9 points per game last season, second in the league. The challenge? Mississippi State isn’t expected to finish near the top of the standings, and that could hold him back.
Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie
A transfer from Maryland, Gillespie brings proven production: 14.7 points, 4.8 assists, and 87 made threes at a 40% clip. With Tennessee losing nearly its entire roster, he’ll be the focal point.
Star Freshmen
Two newcomers stand out: Tennessee’s Nate Ament, a top-five recruit projected as a future No. 1 NBA pick, and Arkansas’s Darius Acuff, another elite guard handed the keys to John Calipari’s offense. Freshmen don’t often win this award, but both have the talent to shake things up.
His Own Teammates
Kentucky’s depth could be Oweh’s biggest obstacle. Transfers Jaland Lowe and Mouhamed Dioubate are impact players, Jayden Quaintance will rejoin the mix once healthy, and freshmen Jasper Johnson and Kam Williams bring firepower. The balanced roster might cut into Oweh’s scoring, even if UK racks up wins.
Otega Oweh has the tools to win SEC Player of the Year — talent, experience, and a team capable of competing for the league title. But with loaded rosters in Gainesville, rising stars in Tuscaloosa and Auburn, and even his own teammates sharing the spotlight, his path won’t be easy.
Still, if Oweh can lead Kentucky to its first SEC championship since 2020, voters may have no choice but to put his name on the trophy.
