‘I just let it fly’
Otega Oweh’s halfcourt heave to force overtime vs. Santa Clara is the shot of the NCAA Tournament so far, the No. 1 play on SportsCenter‘s Top 10. Oweh and his Kentucky teammates will make the media rounds this afternoon at the Enterprise Center. He got an early start on College Gameday, breaking down the big moment and what’s next.
“Everything was kind of slow, if I’m being honest,” Oweh said of what was going through his mind as he shot the ball. “Once [Allen Graves] made the shot, I knew we had no more timeouts. Denzel Aberdeen did a good job of getting the ball out quick, and he got it to me, and I was just trying to rush down to cross halfcourt and get a good shot. And actually, what it was, I just knew we had no timeouts and actually needed a three to tie it, so I just let it fly.”
That shot and Kentucky’s knockout punch in overtime is proof that this team never gives up. As Seth Greenberg put it, the Cats are harder to kill than a cockroach. Oweh smiled at the analogy, saying that this group plays with a chip on its shoulder to represent the BBN.
“I think it’s just the character of everybody on the team,” Oweh said. “We all love this game. We all love playing with each other, and we’re a relentless group. We’ve been through the fire since the beginning of the season, so we never could quit. Always have to keep on fighting. When you put on his jersey, you’ve got to play with a different chip and edge on your shoulder, and we play with that for a full 40.”
The time for celebrating is over. Tomorrow, Kentucky faces a very good Iowa State team. The Cyclones could be without their All-American Joshua Jefferson, but regardless, Oweh knows Kentucky will have to play its best to upset the No. 2 seed and advance to the Sweet 16. He’s actually played the Cyclones three times, once as a freshman at Oklahoma and twice as a sophomore.
“Obviously, they’re a great team. I’ve played Iowa State a couple of times when I was at Oklahoma, so I know exactly how they play. Super physical. They don’t get tired. That’s what it seems like. So, we’ve just got to go out there and stick to our keys, protect the ball, and not get rattled. Because obviously, there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, and there’s going to be a lot of physicality. So we just got to go out there and be the tougher team.”
Yesterday’s game vs. Santa Clara was Kentucky’s first against a team outside of the SEC since December. When asked, Oweh said he welcomes the fresh faces and quick turnarounds.
“It feels kind of like an AAU Tournament if I’m being honest. You just get, like, one day to prep for the next team that you play. So, I mean, everything is just really cool about this moment, because it makes you have to lock in even more, and you kind of take a breather from playing the same opponents that you usually play. But it’s the best time of the year.”
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