After a slow start to the season, Oweh has lived up to his massive hype since SEC play began in January


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Otega Oweh etched his name into Kentucky and NCAA Tournament lore Friday with one of the most memorable clutch shots in March Madness history. Moments after Santa Clara's Allen Graves hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left, Oweh briefly stood in disbelief — just like everyone watching. Then he gathered himself, took three dribbles and banked in a 50-foot heave at the buzzer to force overtime.

"No, I didn't call bank," Oweh confessed with a smile after the game. "I just got it up out of my hands. It's March. I feel like that's just what happens. It's crazy."

"I was just trying to get the ball out quick and get as close as I can to the goal. I was looking at the clock the whole time. Obviously, they hit a 3, so we had to hit a 3. So I was really just trying to get a shot off and just not wanting the season to end. Just locking in, trying to make the shot."

No. 7 seed Kentucky went on to beat No. 10 seed Santa Clara 89-84 in overtime, advancing to Sunday's second round, where it will face either No. 2 seed Iowa State with a trip to the Sweet 16 at stake.

Oweh took over late, scoring 10 consecutive points across the end of regulation and the start of overtime. After a season filled with setbacks and unmet expectations, it was a defining moment of redemption. Injuries, bad losses and a slow start no longer mattered.

That's the power of March. It creates lasting moments and unlikely heroes. Oweh didn't just deliver a highlight -- he saved Kentucky from a stunning early exit.

"There was no pause, throw your hands up," coach Mark Pope said. "Feel sorry for yourself reaction from our guys. They scrambled, got the ball and Otega raced down the floor and stopped right in front of me and as he raised up, he said, 'that's a bucket,' and then threw it in off the glass."

Oweh became just the fourth player in NCAA Tournament history to record at least 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a game, joining Oscar Robertson (1959), Bill Bradley (1965) and Larry Bird (1979).

A slow start
Even three months ago, a performance like this from Oweh -- or Kentucky -- seemed unlikely. After bypassing the 2025 NBA Draft and garnering SEC Preseason Player of the Year honors, many expected him to lead the Wildcats to the Final Four.

However, Oweh struggled to meet lofty expectations early in the season. He didn't record a 20-point game until Dec. 9, when he scored 21 against North Carolina Central. He broke 20 points just once more in nonconference play.

Oweh and the Wildcats got little help on the injury front. Star guard Jaland Lowe appeared in just nine games before being ruled out for the season after shoulder surgery, which followed a three-minute outing against Mississippi State in January. Former five-star Jayden Quaintance logged only 66 total minutes after showing flashes of top-five NBA Draft potential.

A strong finish
But as the games got bigger, so did Oweh's play. He scored at least 20 points in 14 conference games and topped that mark in both of Kentucky's SEC Tournament contests. He has looked like a different player since the calendar turned to 2026, helping the Wildcats to a 10-8 record in SEC play and a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

"This guy, man, he shows up every single game in only a unique Otega Oweh way," Pope said Friday. "It's just brilliant."

After taking the Wildcats on his back in their first-round victory, it appears Oweh may have leveled up his game again -- just when it matters most. Sunday's second-round game against Iowa State will offer Oweh a chance to write yet another chapter in his redemption story, this time against a No. 2 seed with a return trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.

Does he have another chapter in him?

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