Otega Oweh is the leading scorer for ninth-ranked Kentucky. Milos Uzan leads eighth-ranked Houston in assists. Both are integral pieces of Final Four-caliber teams.
Not long ago they were the four-star headliners — both top-100 prospects — of OU’s 2022 recruiting class. Oweh didn’t play much as a freshman, but Uzan emerged as a full-time starter and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team.
Uzan regressed as a sophomore while Oweh excelled. They started in the backcourt for a Sooner team that missed the NCAA Tournament, earning the dubious distinction of “first team out.”
How did that team miss the tournament?
That’s what I was wondering Saturday as I watched Oweh make key play after key play in Kentucky’s 102-97 loss to Alabama — one of those rare college basketball games that was an absolute treat to take in. Oweh had a team-high 21 points with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and no turnovers. You should’ve heard Jay Bilas gushing about him on the broadcast.
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Uzan wasn’t nearly as spectacular in Houston’s 69-68 win at UCF, but he scored eight points with a team-high five assists as the Cougars extended their winning streak to 10 games.
“Milos has figured out how to run the offense without having to do too much,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said last week. “He does it the way I want it done, which is even more important.”
That Oweh and Uzan are thriving individually away from OU isn’t a great look for Porter Moser and his staff. Sure, Oweh and Uzan are a year older and should naturally be better — and they’re surrounded by superior talent at Kentucky and Houston — but OU missing the tournament with them in the fold looks even more like a blunder in hindsight. That Sooner team clearly underachieved.
I’ll raise my hand: I was surprised Kentucky was interested in Oweh. First-year coach Mark Pope must’ve seen more in Oweh than Oweh showed against Pope’s BYU squad last year in Norman. Oweh went 2-of-6 and only played 21 minutes against BYU.
I didn’t think Oweh would start for Kentucky. Now he’s reminding me of a former Kentucky guard we know well: Cason Wallace. Where was this version of Oweh at OU?
Uzan’s production at Houston has mirrored what he did at OU, but don’t discount his role. He’s played the second-most minutes for a Houston team that’s undefeated (6-0) in Big 12 play.
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Obviously, Sampson saw something in Uzan, just as Pope did in Oweh. Something Moser failed to unlock.
The Sooners replenished their backcourt with star freshman Jeremiah Fears and a couple of veteran guards in Duke Miles and Kobe Elvis — both of whom have been nice additions.
OU beat South Carolina on Saturday for its first SEC win, and the Sooners (14-4, 1-4 SEC) are right where they were last season — on the bubble.
Oweh and Uzan, meanwhile, are bound for the Big Dance.
It’s fair to question why they didn’t get there last year.
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Former OU basketball guards Otega Oweh, Milos Uzan thriving elsewhere
