The Kentucky Wildcats entered the 2025–26 season with plenty of hype, talent, and expectations — but no clear go-to scorer. And that absence has been glaring whenever the lights get brighter. The assumption all offseason was that returning senior guard Otega Oweh would become that guy. After all, he nearly jumped to the NBA before deciding to return to Lexington to finish what he started.
But early on, that version of Oweh — the explosive, efficient, downhill force Kentucky relied on last season — was nowhere to be found.
Kentucky’s Scoring Void Has Been a Problem
Through the first stretch of games, Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler have both stepped up at times, but neither has been the consistent, takeover-type scorer Kentucky desperately needs in marquee matchups.
In Kentucky’s losses and shaky performances against Michigan State and Louisville, the offense lacked a leader. Someone who wanted the ball in crunch time. Someone who could stop a run or create a shot when the game tightened.
That someone was supposed to be Oweh.
But he wasn’t producing — and more importantly, he wasn’t playing with the edge fans were used to.
Even Oweh acknowledged publicly that he hadn’t brought enough energy or intensity. For a player who averaged 16.2 points on 49.2% shooting last season, it was clear something was missing.
Then Came Loyola — And a Different Otega Oweh
Kentucky’s 88–46 blowout win over Loyola Maryland was the first time this season fans saw glimpses of the Oweh they expected.
His stat line — 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists — wasn’t earth-shattering. But that wasn’t what caught Mark Pope’s attention.
It was the effort.
The urgency.
The commitment to doing the gritty things.
After the game, Pope made a point to single out Oweh’s approach, praising his energy and competitiveness. Via Wyatt Huff of Kentucky Wildcats on SI, Pope highlighted that Oweh wasn’t just playing harder — he was playing with purpose.
Pope’s tone made it clear:
This wasn’t just a good game.
This was a shift.
Why This Matters: A Brutal Stretch Is Coming
Kentucky will play one more manageable opponent next week before stepping into one of the toughest two-game stretches in the nation:
North Carolina
Gonzaga
Two powerhouse programs.
Two elite coaches.
Two top-10 level teams.
And two matchups that require leadership, poise, and someone who can make plays when everything collapses around the offense.
If Oweh doesn’t rise to that challenge, Kentucky could find itself outmatched — and outscored.
Kentucky Needs the Old Oweh — The Real Oweh
So far this year, Oweh has yet to score more than 15 points in a game, a surprising drop-off from last season’s production. His efficiency has dipped, his confidence has wavered, and his aggression has come and gone.
But the Loyola game may end up being the moment he flips the switch.
Kentucky doesn’t need Oweh to score 25 every night.
They don’t need him to be a hero.
They just need him to be who he already proved he can be.
A reliable, fearless, efficient scorer.
A veteran leader.
A tone-setter.
And most importantly — someone the Wildcats can trust when the game is hanging in the balance.
Is the Turning Point Here?
Kentucky has survived the early turbulence of the season, but now comes the real test. And for the Wildcats to prove they’re more than a talented-but-inconsistent group, they need their senior star to fully reemerge.
Oweh’s renewed effort, as highlighted by Pope, may be the start of that resurgence.
If it is, Kentucky suddenly looks much more dangerous.
If not… things could get rocky fast.
Either way, the next two weeks will tell the story.
