Kentucky star Otega Oweh explains where he got his nickname "Tegatron"

Oweh earned his nickname on the court a couple of years ago.

Feb 24, 2024; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Otega Oweh (3) drives to the basket around Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Javon Small (12) during overtime at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

Kentucky basketball held their annual media day on Tuesday, where members of the media were able to speak with Mark Pope and players. One of those was Otega Oweh, a 6-foot-4 transfer guard from Oklahoma. He is expected to bring a ton of energy and physicality, most notably on the defensive end. Did you know his effort on the floor gave him a nickname? Well, now you do.

On Tuesday, Oweh talked in-depth about how he got his nickname "Tegatron," and how it has stuck with him ever since.

"That's actually a cool story. I wanna say it was my junior year. It was my junior year of high school, we were in AAU. We were at Peach Jam. That was the year that COVID had just finished. It was two weeks long, so the first week I was struggling a little bit. I wasn't really playing like myself. The second week, I started dominating, going crazy. One of my teammates parents, they came up with the name 'Tegatron,' because I was forceful and strong. It just kind of stuck with me, because it kind of just represented perseverance, just always pushing through."

- Oweh on how he got his nickname.

That wasn't just a high school nickname or just at Oklahoma. The nickname has even began to follow him to Lexington. Oweh says even some of his new teammates have called him "Tegatron" at one point during practices.

"When they found out, I wanna say the last media that we had, they've definitely tried slipping it in a couple of times in practice or mention it. But yeah, people definitely know."

- On teammates finding out his nickname.

To back that up, Oweh is known for the physicality and competitive mindset that earned him that nickname. He welcomes physicality, and he wants to show it right back to his opponents. It's something the guard is looking to bring to Lexington this season.

"I'm trying to be out there and be as aggressive as I can. Just be a dog."

- Oweh on his mentality on the court.

Kentucky will certainly be welcoming that attitude, especially in an up-tempo type of style that can thrive off of the type of energy Oweh will be bringing.