Kentucky Wildcats coach Mark Pope had two players drafted in this year’s NBA draft. In round one on Tuesday, Jayden Quaintance ended up going 20th overall to the San Antonio Spurs.
On Wednesday, Pope saw his second player get drafted. The Miami Heat drafted guard Otega Oweh with the 41st overall pick before being sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On social media, the Kentucky coach shared a one-line message celebrating his player’s selection.
Pope shared a graphic showing Oweh joining OKC to begin his NBA career. He accompanied it with a one-line message congratulating the player on his accomplishment.
“Let’s Go OO!! So Proud of you,” Pope wrote.
Coming out of high school, Otega Oweh was viewed as a four-star prospect. He began his collegiate journey with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022. In two seasons, he played in 60 games and averaged 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
In 2024, Oweh announced his decision to enter the transfer portal to join Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats. In his debut campaign with the program, he helped the team qualify for March Madness, where Tennessee eliminated them in the Sweet Sixteen.
Last year, Otega Oweh had declared for the draft while maintaining his eligibility. However, he ended up withdrawing his name to play one more season with Mark Pope and his team. The Wildcats once again qualified for the NCAA Tournament, but lost to Iowa State in the second round.
In two years with Kentucky, Oweh played in 72 games and averaged 17.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.2 apg and 1.7 spg.
Mark Pope has a lot at stake this upcoming season
As the hype of this year’s draft slowly dwindles, Mark Pope will soon shift his focus towards the upcoming season with the Kentucky Wildcats. It is going to be a crucial campaign for him if he wants to remain in Lexington.
In 2024, Pope was hired as John Calipari’s replacement. However, fans are not yet sold on him as the suitable successor of the program. The Kentucky coach found himself in the hot seat after being eliminated in the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Pope has to address a handful of issues, especially being better from the three-point line. Last season, the whole team shot an underwhelming 34.1% from deep. He has utilized the offseason to revamp the roster, welcoming many new talents to Lexington.
Some of the players who will play for Kentucky in the upcoming season are Milan Momcilovic, Justin McBride, Zoom Diallo and Jerone Morton, to name a few. What remains to be seen is whether these additions help Pope and his team emerge as a strong contender for the national championship.
Read More: “Got a STEAL”: John Calipari Makes Feelings Known as Meleek Thomas Finally Finds NBA Home
Also Read: “Makes a Huge Difference”: Former Auburn HC Bruce Pearl Notices Touching Fact at NBA Draft Ceremony
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