Wednesday night at 11:59 PM ET is the official deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft and still maintain college eligibility.
Why is this relevant?
Every member of Big Blue Nation has had their sights fixed on Otega Oweh as he has gone through the NBA Draft process the last several weeks.
Oweh was undoubtedly Kentucky’s best and most consistent player from last season, scoring the basketball at a high level and being a terrific off-ball defender.
He was a player who brought toughness and leadership to the floor in head coach Mark Pope’s first season and is a player that Pope, the program and the fans would all love to see play a second season of college basketball in Lexington.
It’s been heavily speculated prior to and during the NBA Draft process that Oweh has been simply testing the NBA waters, seeking feedback from teams and their scouts on what all he can improve on in another season of college basketball with hopes of becoming a high pick in next year’s draft.
One of Kentucky’s recent transfers — Jaland Lowe — also tested the NBA waters but pulled his name out of the draft last week.
So what’s the hold up on Oweh?
He’s only being mentioned in one of the major pre-draft mocks, with Sports Illustrated listing him as their 58th player taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While there’s zero doubt that Oweh has a fantastic motor, work ethic and a high ceiling, the timing just doesn’t seem right. Being selected towards the end of the draft means minimal guarantees and the team having “less stock” in the player.
But if Oweh were to return to Kentucky, improve his jump shot and on-ball defense, he’ll also have another full season of tape while playing against what should be a stacked schedule of opponents.
We’ll learn of Oweh’s decision soon enough, but it appears he’s in no major hurry to decide in advance of the deadline.
