”We need you more than ever” – Otega Oweh sends emotional message to wildcats fans ahead of the next season as he begs for their….

Big Blue Nation,

When I first walked onto that floor at University of Kentucky, I knew I was entering something special. I knew I was joining a legacy. But I didn’t fully understand how deeply this place — this family — would become part of me. Over the past season, you welcomed me in. You cheered for me, you believed in me, you carried me. And I want to say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We are standing at the threshold of something great. We’ve tasted success, we’ve felt momentum, but we all know the work is far from over. We are chasing a goal — a goal that matters not just to me, but to everyone in Rupp, everyone watching from home, everyone who bleeds blue and white. I look around the locker-room, I see the hunger in the eyes of my brothers in uniform. I feel the weight of history on this program. And I feel the promise of what we can become. But here’s the truth: I can’t do it alone.

So I’m coming to you — each and every member of Big Blue Nation — and I’m saying: we need you more than ever.

This upcoming season will demand everything we’ve got. It will ask for late-night practices, early morning shoot-arounds, unrelenting defense, unselfish offense, and a mindset that refuses to quit. But beyond the practice court or the game day — it demands your voice. It demands your passion. It demands your energy. It demands you standing, roaring, believing, no matter the matchup, no matter the score.

I’ve learned a lot in this journey. I’ve learned that when the ball is in your hands with the game on the line — you don’t think. You act. You trust the work. And behind me — behind every drive, every rebound, every clutch moment I hope to deliver — is the power of this fanbase. When I drive baseline and hear that roar, when I rise up and hear the chant, when I lock eyes with you in the stands — that’s not just noise. That’s fuel. That’s belief. That’s family.

We have a roster now that can do damage. We have coaches who demand excellence. And we have you. The best fans in the nation. But none of that stacks up if we don’t connect. Because the opponent will bring their best. They will try to silence the crowd. They will try to break the rhythm. We must not allow it. When the lights go on, when the whistle blows, I want us together — one heartbeat. One mission.

So I’m asking you: be loud, be proud, be relentless. Fill the arena. Bring the energy early. Stay with us through every quarter. Bring your A-game to the road. Wear your blue. Sing your fight song. Show the world what it means to be Big Blue Nation.

And I promise you this: we will give you everything. I will give you everything. I will lead with energy. I will play with grit. I will leave it all out there. Because I know what’s at stake. I know the hearts of this program, this community, this state. And I know what it feels like when we all rise together.

We are chasing excellence. We are chasing a championship. But even higher than that — we are chasing something that lasts. A memory. A legacy. A moment the entire Kentucky family will look back on and say: we were together. We believed. We achieved.

So Big Blue Nation: this is our moment. This is our season. And we need you. We need you now more than ever.

With love, respect and endless gratitude,
00 — Oweh