Oscar Tshiebwe won every major national player of the year award last season and could be the first repeat winner since Virginias Ralph Sampson. If someone is in front of him, hell try to push that guy under the bucket. That can be problematic. Pre-2021-2022 Oscar Tshiebwe. I think I grew a little bit since the beginning of the season.. 1 NBA draft pick. Wager on Monday. 9 this year. In 2022, Tshiebwe was the consensus national player of the year . If not for Tshiebwe, Williams' rebounding average of 9.6 would lead the SEC. 4:16. In that image, the veins in his forehead are bulging and his stare is stone-cold. But right now, if I messed up, coach [Calipari] knows Im playing hard, defending [and] grabbing rebounds.. Im going to be somewhere between 12th and 16th in the draft and thats just what it is (he went 13th in the 2009 draft). Hes been challenging himself to find a consistent jump shot since his days at West Virginia. "I'm not the tallest guy," Tshiebwe said. "Oscar is one of the most unique players in the country," Wildcats senior guard Davion Mintz told reporters. Hes averaging 16.3 points, 15.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.6 steals and shooting 61.5 percent from the field for 12th-ranked Kentucky, which will play at No. Tshiebwe believes Calipari assembled a championship-level roster around him. At Kentucky, he seems to have held onto that general concept, getting position and never letting anyone move him, while letting go of Huggins hard-and-fast rule about rushing to the opposite side. "He's probably the best rim-runner that I've seen in college basketball.". I like when people are coming for me. The 6-foot-9, 260-pound forward from the Congo led the nation in rebounding at 15.1 per game while averaging 17.4 points. 3M; 2:58. Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars in March 2022. Now, Tshiebwe will have to try and halt those amazing things on the court, as he and Kentucky will square off against Johnson and Kansas State in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon in Greensboro. "He's just a tremendous, tremendous player," LSU Coach Will Wade said. 04-21-2023, 12:44 PM #7: rickjames. Oscar is one of the most unique players in the country, guard Davion Mintz says. (The Virginia star actually three-peated the Naismith Award in 1981, 1982 and 1983). Its just not easy to run offense with two guys who belong posting up on the block. Those are different skills. With the talent level that we have, we want more opportunities to score.. The return of Tshiebwe, who will reportedly make a seven-figure sum on name, image and likeness deals this season, extended a strong week for Calipari, who received a commitment from D.J. Walk-on . "Oscar isn't Oscar yet," Tom Izzo said after the game. I don't want anybody to score.' One of the best players available via the NCAA transfer portal this offseason only made his decision to change schools in the last few days. Early Friday morning, The Athletic's Kyle Tucker released a story about former West Virginia big man Oscar Tshiebwe, who claimed Head Coach Bob Huggins threatened to "ruin" him in the eyes of NBA . Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects. I see the tenacity, Hansbrough says. His total rebound percentage (28.6) would be the best in the dozen years that Basketball Reference has tracked it. 18 Arkansas on Saturday at Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Check out Tshiebwe's top plays ahead of UK vs. UF. No, you gotta go position yourself in the place where you might get the ball. He's now played four college seasons and has established himself as one of the most. Kentucky also signed two more McDonalds All-Americans, Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston, who are among the more physically impressive UK freshmen in recent memory. Im not coming back just to win national player of the year. Ive got a weight on my shoulders of 300 pounds. Following Tuesday's game, Tshiebwe said his team will continue to grow now that it's healthy. Tshiebwe is the best rebounder in college basketball by a large margin and that's one talent that tends to translate better than most, going from college to the pros. It was an emotional reminder about how fragile life can be in the sports world an area that is so often used as a gateway and escape from the tear-jerking issues that surround the lives of many. "We've just been connected since then," Johnson said. He grabbed more rebounds last season than any Division I player since 1974. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Double-team, look for your teammates. And they trust me, that I can do a lot of things. He is averaging 16.9 points, 15.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Except in the ways that are measurable. But I came here to win a national championship. He was very adamant about that being what he wanted to do. Wildcats is a basketball team of the University of Kentucky. That would require something that had only happened once in the last 40 years: the consensus player of the year returning to mens college basketball. Strength-wise, power-wise, force-wise, leverage-wise, hes the strongest person, easily, on the team. The aforementioned ceremonial Senior Night in Gainesville on March 5, 2022, featured a game against Kentucky. So now were trying to fine-tune different things with him. Put another way: John Calipari is lucky that so far Tshiebwe hasnt had major foul trouble or suffered any significant injury, because UKs frontcourt would be just as hopeless as it was a year ago in either case. Finished second on the adidas Gauntlet with 2.4 blocks per game in 2018. At the Final Four. You gotta stop watching the ball. In fact, whether on offense or defense, Tshiebwe seems to always search for the top of the charge circle when a shot goes up. Coaches say, You are one-on-one in the post, finish it. "I don't think anyone provides what he does to their team.". Oscar Tshiebwe and the Kentucky Wildcats are ready for their first game in the NCAA Tournament March Madness on March 17. Oscar Tshiebwe has a nice pass for a huge Jacob Toppin dunk. ". Sometimes I get mad the way were shooting, because I need them to miss so I can grab some rebounds, but they keep making everything. He is also stout, a chiseled 255 pounds with only 8.9 percent body fat, but hardly all ass. 1 among high-majors. I don't want anyone that can't beat our Oscar Tshiebwe. Tshiebwe, a West Virginia transfer and native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is only the second player in the history of the storied history of the Wildcats program to win the AP's top honor. "They say the real love is when someone's going through a lot. Runs the floor well and stays active on both ends. Statistically, Tshiebwe had a slightly above average game with 17 points and 16 rebounds Wednesday night when the Wildcats beat LSU 71-66 in Rupp Arena. Maybe that wouldnt have mattered as much, maybe he couldve ignored the aching disappointment, if he was a projected lottery pick or even a surefire first-rounder. Birthday. Baseball. Thats a lot of firepower. Tshiebwe is in a system at Kentucky that fits his talents. Tshiebwe not only leads the team in each of those categories, hes one of the most dominant glass cleaners in decades. The coach: Go get it! Go get it? I dont want anybody to score. At Kentucky's Pro Day in October, Tshiebwe had a vertical jump of 33 inches, which would have tied for 45th at last summer's NBA Scouting Combine. 1 recruit in the 2023 class per ESPN, picked Kentucky over Louisville, its chief rival. Tuesdays overtime win against Mississippi State was a perfect example of Tshiebwes impact. An almost eight-shot-per-game swing is huge, especially considering how much better these Cats are at actually shooting than last years. Led the NBPA Top 100 in rebounds with 10.4 per game in 2018. While not a very top-heavy center class, there is decent depth of players with third big potential. For now, they are expected to move to the highest level in basketball, but it is yet to be seen if they actually follow through with those decisions. Still, it's been expected that even if he wasn't going to be drafted . He takes him if Tshiebwe is not ready to make a decision. AP photo. Shows a good spin, flashes some moves and finesse touch in the paint occasionally but doesnt have much of an offensive game in the low post. I can see the court really good when Ive got the ball. He said he returned to help Kentucky win a national championship and broaden his game ahead of next year's NBA draft. "I went through rehab and everything was good. (Maria Lysaker / USA Today). 1 in offensive rebounding percentage and averages 5.4 more field-goal attempts per game than opponents. Tshiebwe scored 25 po." Matt Babcock on Instagram: "Oscar Tshiebwe's motor was on from the jump and he never turned it off. A trophy for the school, its going to be talked about forever. As Tshiebwe made the jump from West Virginia to Kentucky, Johnson remained unable to play. By Jeff Borzello. If his man is behind him, then yes, its butt city. Check it out here. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Kentucky's big man decided to take a. What should the Wizards do with Kristaps Porzingis? Williams initially balked at Hansbroughs decision, because he hadnt just suddenly blown up as a junior, as Tshiebwe did. Rebound. His combination of physical gifts and mental approach to crashing the glass make that possible. "I know I'm going to have to sprint back every single time," Williams said. So he tips the scale for us in terms of possessions.. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Tshiebwe cruised to his third double-double in three games in a 80-55 win over Mount St. Marys, scoring 24 points and grabbing 16 points, making him the first Wildcat to begin his career with three-straight since Julius Randle in 2013-14; Randle began his Kentucky career with seven double-doubles in a row. "God says everything is possible. And I think thats something Cal will probably try to be very cautious of with Oscar, because if a guy comes back, you want to make sure you do everything you can to take care of him and make it a good year for him. None of the math can capture Tshiebwes warrior spirit and relentless positivity, which seem to have infected Kentuckys team, so his value is both obvious and impossible to quantify. The Democratic Republic of the Congo native did some pregame stretching and was honored with his Naismith Trophy as Player of the Year and a commemorative basketball for reaching 1,000 career points before taking his seat on the bench. Hansbrough missed four games early in the season with shin and ankle injuries that scared me to death, Williams says. Tipoff for the big-time game featuring two big-time players is set for 2:40 p.m. EST inside Greensboro Coliseum. But in the end, It was him saying, I want to come back and win a championship and I want to come back and be a lottery pick, Calipari told former UK stars Dan Issel and Mike Pratt on their radio show after the decision was made.