Latest news with #OtegaOweh
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
BR Mock Draft: Warriors land Serbian big man in second round of latest NBA mock draft
BR Mock Draft: Warriors land Serbian big man in second round of latest NBA mock draft Wednesday marked the final day for early entrants to withdrawal from the NBA draft and return to the college level. With players like Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford, Kentucky's Otega Oweh, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg, Arkansas' Karter Knox and Alabama's Labaron Philon all officially returning to college, the field for the NBA draft is officially set. With the 2025 draft class official, different mock drafts have been released with predictions for what Steve Kerr, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Golden State Warriors what will do in June's draft. While the Warriors don't have a first-round pick, they will be on the clock in the second round with the No. 41 overall pick. In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, the Warriors landed an international big man in the second round. With the No. 41 overall pick, Wasserman inked Serbian big man Bogoljub Markovic to the Warriors in the second round. The 19-year-old, 6-foot-11 Serbian played the last three seasons for Mega in the Adriatic Basketball League. In 30 games, Markovic averaged 13.7 points on 53.8% shooting from the field and 37% from beyond the arc to go along with 6.8 boards and 2.7 assists per game. Bogoljub was awarded the ABA League's top prospect award for the 2025 season. Current and former NBA players like Nikpla Jovic, Goga Bitadze, Dario Saric and two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic have won the same award in the past. The NBA draft is set to begin on June 25 with the first round at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
NBA Draft announcements: Tahaad Pettiford, Otega Oweh headed back to school
May 28 - Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford announced on social media that he is withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to the Tigers for his sophomore season, one of several high-profile players to make a last-minute decision about their draft status on Wednesday. "I'm back," Pettiford said on Instagram. Joining him in returning to school are Kentucky's Otega Oweh and San Diego State's Miles Byrd. Arkansas' Adou Thiero and RJ Luis Jr. of St. John's, however, announced through their agents that they plan to stay in the draft pool, exhausting their collegiate careers. The deadline for players to withdraw from the draft and maintain college eligibility is Wednesday night at 11:59 p.m. ET. As of 7:00 p.m. ET, among top prospects, only Penn State forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser had yet to make a public statement about his intentions. Pettiford was viewed as a second-round pick in this year's draft. He said he plans to boost his stock during a second college season. "I was happy to go through the process, getting feedback from NBA teams," the 6-foot-1 Pettiford told ESPN. "Going back to Auburn is a better situation for me. I see myself being a higher pick next year. It wasn't 100 percent this year, so I didn't want to take that chance. "Being a short guard, it won't be easy to play in the league, but I know I can do it. It's maybe not the right time." Pettiford ranked third on Auburn in scoring at 11.6 points per game despite coming off the bench in 37 of his 38 appearances. He averaged a team-leading 3.0 assists per game and was second on the squad with 70 3-point baskets. Auburn went 32-6 last season and reached the Final Four before losing to eventual national champions Florida 79-73. The 6-4 Oweh, like Pettiford, drastically improves his team's prospects via his 2025-26 return. The junior guard has improved his scoring output in every collegiate season, averaging 16.2 points per game for the 24-12 Wildcats a season ago. He played his first two seasons for Oklahoma before transferring to Kentucky last offseason. He was widely considered a borderline second-rounder. Byrd, a 6-7 wing, has been a member of the Aztecs' NCAA regional semifinalist squad in 2023-24 and their national runners-up team in 2022-23 (both losers to eventual champion UConn). His 2024-25 season was his best individually, as Byrd contributed 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game on the offensive end and added 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game defensively in boosting his evaluation into the second round. "We are very happy to have Miles returning to San Diego State for the 2025-26 season," San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. "It was important that he meet with NBA teams and get their evaluations so he can continue his development in order to be able to fulfill his dream of playing at the next level. As we focus on earning another Mountain West championship in the upcoming season, this experience can only be positive for Miles and the Aztecs." Luis raised eyebrows by declaring for the draft, and will likely raise even more by staying in it, despite his status among draft observers as being a borderline prospect while conversely being highly coveted in the transfer portal. The 6-7 guard led the Red Storm in scoring (18.2 ppg) as they bolted out to a 31-5 (18-2) record in winning the Big East. The Big East Player of the Year was very pointedly benched by coach Rick Pitino, however, late during the team's 75-66 second-round loss to Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. His shooting, inconsistent at the college level, is considered a big question. On the other hand, flirting with the first round is Thiero, whose mix of size and athleticism makes him a more solid bet to get drafted on June 25. The former Kentucky guard followed John Calipari to Arkansas in 2024 and averaged career highs in points (15.1), rebounds (5.8) and assists (1.9) for the 22-14 Razorbacks. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
4-star forward Braydon Hawthorne commits to Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Just when you thought Mark Pope had his 2025 Kentucky basketball roster all set, he made another addition on Tuesday with the commitment of four-star Braydon Hawthorne. Former UK basketball star returns to his Laurel County roots after tornado devastates community Hawthorne is a 6-foot-8 small forward who lately has been rising up recruiting boards in the class of 2025. He is ranked No. 33 nationally by 247 Sports, No. 10 by position and No. 1 in his home state of West Virginia. He played high school ball at Huntington Prep and committed to play at West Virginia, but then decommitted when Mountaineers' head coach Darian DeVries left to take the job at Indiana. He kept WVU in his top five with Kentucky, Duke, Pitt and Virginia Tech and chose the Wildcats. Hawthorne is viewed as a prospect with a ton of potential as a long-term project and not considered to be a one-and-done, but could provide value immediately on both ends of the floor with his 7-foot-3 wingspan. Kentucky basketball: Pope discusses 'hungry' roster, Otega Oweh The final piece for Kentucky is waiting on Otega Oweh's decision on whether to stay in the NBA Draft or return to school. He has until May 28th at 11:59 p.m. to make that decision. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky guard Otega Oweh comments on pending draft decision
Mar 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) dunks the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second half during a Midwest Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images Kentucky guard Otega Oweh said this week that he wants to make the most of his upcoming predraft process before making a decision on his future in basketball. Oweh was an All-SEC second-team selection this past season as a junior, averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals on 35.5% shooting from 3-point range. He registered 13 20-point games, including a season-high 28 points and six rebounds on Feb. 26. Advertisement The 21-year-old announced last month that he would declare for the 2025 NBA draft while maintaining his remaining eligibility. He offered an update on his thought process after working out with the Portland Trail Blazers, his third this draft cycle. 'I'm all in,' Oweh said on Thursday, via Aaron Fentress of the Oregonian. 'I have one more year of eligibility, but my goal is to play in the NBA, so I'm not doing this process one foot in, one foot out. I'm all in." Oweh isn't projected to be drafted, though the 6-foot-4 guard was among the prospects invited to the combine, beginning Sunday in Chicago, Illinois. There, he'll be able to gain feedback from teams about his draft stock and whether he should stay in or return to school. He has established himself as a defensive-minded prospect who can impact games at a high level. He can guard multiple positions and believes he can defend opposing teams' best players, while offering a dynamic scoring option on the other end of the court. Advertisement Oweh has also worked out with the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets, with additional visits scheduled ahead of the early entry withdrawal deadline on May 28. The upcoming three-plus weeks will be a crucial period for him as he weighs his on-court options. 'I believe I'm a first-round guy,' Oweh said. 'I'm just gonna go through these workouts, give it my all, and then when it's all said and done, I'll see where I'm at and then I'll make that decision.' This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: NBA rumors: Kentucky guard Otega Oweh comments on draft decision
Indianapolis Star
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Purdue basketball facing blue blood opponent in historic gym for exhibition
Purdue men's basketball's preseason exhibition will feature one of the sport's most storied programs and a visit to a historic gym. The Boilermakers will face Kentucky in an exhibition game at Rupp Arena on Oct. 24, the team announced Friday morning. Game time and television assignment will be announced later. Purdue continues a recent theme of playing preseason games against top programs on the road. It played at Arkansas two years ago and at Creighton last season. The teams have not played since 1997. Kentucky leads the all-time series 6-2, and Purdue's last victory came in 1984. Both the Boilermakers and Wildcats played in the Sweet 16 in Indianapolis in March. Kentucky's history includes 17 Final Fours and eight national championships. It has won 22 or more games in 12 of the last 13 seasons, with 30 or more wins three times in that span. Both teams are preseason top 10 contenders, at worst. Kentucky guard Otega Oweh is going through the NBA Draft process and has not announced his plans for next season. A highly ranked transfer class included Pitt's Jaland Lowe, Florida's Denzel Aberdeen and Arizona State's Jayden Quaintance. The Wildcats are led by former Indiana Pacer Mark Pope.
