The 2025 NBA Draft Combine is set to take place in Chicago from May 11-18, providing a key opportunity for draft-eligible players to showcase their skills in front of NBA scouts and executives.
Among the 75 invitees are Kentucky guards Otega Oweh and Koby Brea, whose participation could delay any decisions about returning to college basketball next season. The combine, held at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis, will feature interviews, athletic testing, scrimmages, and more as teams prepare for the NBA Draft on June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Oweh, who declared for the draft on April 15 while maintaining college eligibility, has until May 28 to withdraw and return to Kentucky. Head coach Mark Pope expressed full support for Oweh’s decision-making process: “Otega is exploring this opportunity, and we’re behind him. If he comes back, he’ll return as the SEC Player of the Year front-runner. His future is bright.”
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony ranks Oweh at No. 77 among 2025 prospects—currently outside draft projections. Brea, however, is projected to go No. 54 to the Indiana Pacers in ESPN’s latest mock draft.
Oweh made a major impact in his first season with the Wildcats, leading the team with 16.2 points per game along with 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 steals. The Oklahoma transfer scored in double figures in 33 of 36 games, eclipsing 20 points 13 times. Notable performances included a career-high 28-point game-winner against Oklahoma and a buzzer-beating 27-point performance in the SEC Tournament against his former school. In the NCAA Tournament opener versus Troy, Oweh became the first Wildcat since Walter McCarty (1996) to record 20+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a tournament game.
With 584 total points, Oweh trails only Antonio Reeves and Oscar Tshiebwe among Kentucky transfer scorers in a single season. He was initially ranked No. 31 in the 2024 transfer portal by 247Sports and ended as the No. 7 overall in their final rankings.
Brea, a graduate transfer from Dayton, averaged 11.6 points while shooting elite percentages: 47% from the field, 43.5% from three, and 91.4% from the line. He scored 20 or more points in seven games, including a standout 23-point performance with seven threes against eventual national champion Florida and another 23-point effort in Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament win over Illinois. Brea hit at least one three in 35 of 36 games, finishing the season with 93 made threes—seventh-most in a single season in program history.
Kentucky’s NBA pedigree is unmatched in the modern era. Since 2010, the Wildcats have produced more No. 1 overall picks (3), top-10 selections (17), lottery picks (25), first-rounders (37), and total draft picks (49) than any other school. With 65 total selections since the NBA moved to a two-round draft format in 1989, including 48 first-rounders, Kentucky holds the record for most draftees. The program has had at least one player drafted for 17 consecutive years and a first-round pick in 15 straight drafts.
The NBA Combine will provide clarity on Oweh and Brea’s draft stock. Whether they return or move on to the professional ranks, both have etched their names in the storied Kentucky basketball legacy.
Leave a Reply