The second year Oscar Tshiebwe of West Virginia is leaving the Mountaineers program for personal reasons, the school announced Friday morning.
“Oscar has our full support, and we definitely wish him the best at this time,” coach Bob Huggins said.
There have been rumors of a possible transfer for Tshiebwe, and although the West Virginia statement does not specify his next move, it is clear that he will not be available to the mountaineers any time soon. Tshiebwe’s numbers have dropped since last season, but it’s still a significant loss for No. 9 in West Virginia.
Tshiebwe, a big 6-foot Congolese man, was one of the best freshmen in the country last season, averaging 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds. He announced he was signing up for the NBA draft after the season, but withdrew his name and returned to Morgantown.
He averaged 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds this season, and his minutes dropped to less than 20 per game. Tshiebwe played just 18 minutes against Kansas late last month, scoring three points and five boards. He still showed the potential to dominate, with 11 points and 16 rebounds against VCU in November and 14 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes against Gonzaga in December.
Tshiebwe, a former top-50 pitcher in the 2019 class, was a predicted second round in ESPN’s 2021 mockery for the past summer, but has since fallen out of the top-100 outlook.