MIRAMAR BEACH, FLA – If you are a member of Big Blue Nation and on constant "Otega Watch," then you're in good company.
Coach Mark Pope, like all Kentucky fans, is waiting to learn a decision from Otega Oweh on whether to return to Kentucky or enter the NBA draft. He has until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to make the call.
"We're having conversations via text right now because I'm trying to give him as much space as I can," Pope told The Cats' Pause Tuesday during an exclusive one-on-one interview from the SEC Spring Meeting in Florida.
Pope, in fact, told his leading scorer he has just one request.
"The most important thing is where his heart is," Pope said. "That's really the most important thing. He's had really good progress of his workouts, he's getting incredible feedback that's been really positive from teams. There is a space for him in that league at some point. So it's going to be all about where his heart is."
Option 1: Otega stays in the draft.
"He's been dreaming about playing in the NBA for a long time," Pope said. "So if he thinks, 'This is my moment and I gotta go,' then he has to go. That's what we want for him."
Option 2: Otega returns to Kentucky.
"If he feels like, 'My heart is telling me I got unfinished business at Kentucky and and I want to run this back, and that's where my passion is, and I'll go grow my game and improve my draft stock,' then he needs to come back.
"But this is a decision that's gonna depend on his ticker," Pope said, "because that's what's gonna carry him through the next year."
Oweh was Kentucky's leading scorer last season and the presumptive leader of the 2026 Wildcats should he opt to return. It puts Pope in an awkward position since what may be best for Oweh might hurt the coach's new Kentucky team.
Pope counters that argument.
"Here's the truth, and this is always the case with players," Pope said. "What is best for Otega is going to be best for Kentucky. It's 100 percent true.
"If he follows his heart and his heart tells him to come back, it's going to be great for us," Pope said. "If he follows his heart and his heart says he should go to the league, it's going to be great for us because he's going to go be great there. And he probably wouldn't have been great for us because your whole heart has to be in this. So it'll work out the way it's supposed to work out."
Kentucky fans were hoping to learn Oweh's decision before the 11:59 Wednesday deadline. No such luck, according to Pope, who said Oweh has one final workout with an NBA team on Wednesday.
"Otega has earned this right to make the decision," Pope said. "He's an incredibly special person with an incredibly bright future and I'm just excited to help in any way that I can with him to look deep inside himself and find out what he wants to wear."