Kentucky big man and 2022 National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe declared for the 2023 NBA Draft Friday while maintaining his final year of college eligibility. A West Virginia transfer, Tshiebwe has starred for the Wildcats each of the past two seasons. He has one year of eligibility remaining due to the 2020-21 season not counting as a result of the pandemic. For more on Tshiebwe’s decision to declare, read the latest from CatsPause.
In 66 career games with the Wildcats over two seasons, Tshiebwe averaged 16.9 points and 14.4 rebounds en route to becoming just Kentucky’s ninth two-time consensus All-American.
“I’m probably going to say sorry to Big Blue Nation because when I came here, my dream was to do something great. But two years in a row, it did not happen,” a dejected Tshiebwe said after the Wildcats’ 75-69 loss to Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last month. “Not everybody is able to make their dream true. For me to be here for two years, I just give all the glory to God. I am very appreciative for Kentucky and everybody for the opportunity.”
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After Tshiebwe’s decision, plenty of reaction from the media poured in:
Tshiebwe has had an interesting college career since coming out of Hermitage (Pa.) Kennedy Catholic. He took his talents to West Virginia as a five-star recruit on 247Sports and the Class of 2019’s No. 23 overall prospect, No. 5 center and No. 1 player in Pennsylvania.
A return could be on the table for Tshiebwe, who returned to Kentucky after a monster season in 2022. As a senior with the Wildcats in 2022-23, Tshiebwe averaged 16.5 points and 13.7 rebounds in 33.6 minutes while starting 30 of 32 games.
Tshiebwe — who ranks in the top 10 in rebounds (952), top 25 in blocks (87), top 30 in steals (112), and the top 50 in points (1,117) while playing just two seasons at Kentucky — is not the Wildcats’ only potential departure. John Calipari’s 2023-24 team has plenty of moving parts, and Tshiebwe is the latest — a big one.
Kentucky’s roster construction could be in limbo while waiting for Tshiebwe, as Calipari enters another crucial one. Calipari offered plenty of praise to him after his announcement.
“Oscar fulfilled one dream by being a Kentucky basketball player, but he’s ready to chase this next dream,” Calipari said. “There is no player in that league like Oscar. He’s also an ideal player to have in your locker room because he will truly care about his teammates, the organization and the community. I’m excited for Oscar to go through this process to see if it’s his time to live out his ultimate goal.”
The 2023-24 season is the last season in which players in college before the 2020-21 season that was impacted by the pandemic can play an additional season. What is Kentucky’s ceiling with him on the roster next year?
A Tshiebwe return would obviously be a big deal for Kentucky, as the Wildcats aim to get back to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. With him for the past two seasons, though, UK has not been able to reach the Sweet 16 — a problem that delves deeper than him but must be taken into account while weighing the impact of his departure and where it leaves Calipari’s team.
Could Kentucky have tipped its hand here in reaching out to the star Michigan transfer? It is certainly possible.