CBS Sports tabs Kentucky duo among nation’s best

Kentucky basketball has a pair of names earning national recognition before the season even tips off. CBS Sports analyst Isaac Trotter highlighted Otega Oweh and Jaland Lowe on his list of “college basketball’s best players,” which includes top stars, breakout candidates, and transfers ready to shine.

When looking by positions, Trotter placed Oweh as the No. 2 “true wing” in the country, behind only 5-star freshman AJ Dybantsa at BYU.

“Oweh is just a dawg,” Trotter wrote. “Oweh takes tough defensive assignments every night, and has turned himself into one of the premier transition scorers in college basketball. Oweh is a freight train going downhill, and he hammered 47 dunks. Not many wings can match that number.”

Lowe, meanwhile, cracked the top five at “initiator point guard,” coming in behind Purdue’s Braden Smith, Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, UCLA’s Donovan Dent, and Houston’s Milos Uzan.

“Other initiator point guards had better seasons than Lowe last year, but this is a bet on Mark Pope doing what Mark Pope does with lead guards,” Trotter said. “Otega Oweh and Lamont Butler posted the best offensive seasons of their careers under Pope’s watchful eye, and Lowe should be up next to hit the jetpack joy ride. Lowe’s talent is undeniable, both as a scorer and a playmaker. The lefty, dynamic floor general can crease defenses with slashing drives in a flash.

“With a much-improved shot diet at Kentucky, Lowe should go vroom-vroom.”