With the Wildcats tipping off their regular-season schedule tonight vs. Nicholls, Otega Oweh is feeling great after working through a turf toe injury this summer.
In a recent interview with Goose Givens, Oweh admitted he had some rust to work out following a two-month layoff due to his injury.
The good news is Oweh believes he’s “100%” healed from that setback.
Oweh comes into this season with a lot of attention nationally. He’s on the Preseason Watch List for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year, and he was recently named as a candidate to the Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year.
Oweh has earned several preseason honors, including being tabbed to the NABC Division I Player of the Year award watch list, and being tabbed SEC Preseason Player of the Year by both the media and the league’s coaches. Oweh has also earned a preseason All-America distinction by CBS, Blue Ribbon, The Field of 68, and ESPN’s Jay Bilas. Furthermore, Oweh was named to the preseason watch list for the Jerry West Award, which recognizes the top shooting guard in college basketball.
Oweh led the Cats in scoring at 16.2 points per game last season and began the year by topping double figures in each of the first 26 contests and 33 overall. The native of Newark, New Jersey, set career-best marks in points per game, rebounds per game (4.7), assists per game (1.7), steals per game (1.6), blocks per game (0.5), and free-throw percentage (.776). In addition to his offensive prowess, Oweh also led the Cats in steals with 57 on the season.
Based on how well he did in Mark Pope’s debut season, it’s easy to see a path for Oweh upping his game even further and becoming a legitimate All-American candidate if he stays healthy.
