(Photo by Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
Kentucky has secured a bet on the best available transfer prospect in the country as West Virginia center Oscar Tshiebwe has announced he will play for John Calipari in Lexington for the 2021-22 season.
Tshiebwe, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound center that was originally from the Congo, selected the Wildcats over offerings and interest from, among others, Illinois, North Carolina, Miami (FL) and Tennessee.
“I am grateful for the time I spent in West Virginia, and the lessons I learned,” Tshiebwe wrote on his social media pages. “I prayed a lot of time to God to help me make the best decision for my future. I am excited for this new chapter of my life. I will continue my career at the University of Kentucky. ”
I’m grateful for the time I spent in West Virginia, and the lessons I learned. I prayed a lot of time to God to help me make the best decision for my future. I am excited for this new chapter of my life. I will continue my career at the University of Kentucky #BBN pic.twitter.com/rm08UwtDBI
– Big O (@ Oscartshiebwe34) 11 January 2021
But what does Wildcat’s latest addition mean for the program?
Instant trainer
Before you worry about Tshiebwe, he can and will do for the team following year, it is important to note that the talented transfer intends to enroll for the second semester and that it will go to Lexington immediately. Although he may not be eligible for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, he will be allowed to train with the team and immediately work on the team’s strength and conditioning program.
This means that people like Olivier Sarr, Keion Brooks Jr., Isaiah Jackson, Lance Ware and Jacob Toppin will be able to act every day in practice against Tshiebwe – an absolute tank of a man – to help prepare the current group for strong , physical players in the front field, the team will play the entire conference.
Kentucky is already deep in the competition – 11 now with Brooks back in the rotation – but Tshiebwe’s addition will ensure that Calipari no longer has to worry about having enough bodies in practice. Now, he has extras.
Litter dog in the paint
As for Tshiebwe’s presence on the court once he’s eligible in 2021-22, it’s pretty clear what Kentucky is getting: a strong, physical workhorse with an endless car.
Tshiebwe stands 6 feet-9, 260 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wing span and already has an NBA-ready body. He is an anchor in the forecourt, literally and figuratively. But the reason there was so much excitement about the former five-star prospect in high school was that he simply worked everyone out on the floor, and it still remained his most important thing in his time in West Virginia. Whether it’s diving for loose balls, fighting for tough setbacks or running ahead of the competition on quick breaks, Tshiebwe has not been exhausted by anyone.
This quote from the former Mountaineer Center says it all:
“I’m a machine,” Tshiebwe said West Virginia’s Life as a mountaineer video series. ‘As I play, most people we play against, ask me the same questions during games. “Brother, how do you not get tired?” I say, ‘I do get tired, but I do not stop when I’m tired. I stop when I’m done. ”
Tshiebwe remains a bit raw on the offensive side – he is relatively new to the sport – but he compensates for it by doing the dirty work on both sides of the floor. There’s a reason he’s almost doubled after all – 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Next year’s foreland may be completed
Similarly, Kentucky’s foreland for next season looks pretty loaded.
We’m not sure what to do with Keion Brooks Jr. will happen in terms of his NBA draft decision, and Olivier Sarr (graduation) and Isaiah Jackson (NBA draft) may both leave the program, but the expectation is that Jacob Toppin and Lance Ware will both be back next season and Kentucky has already signed five-star center Daimion Collins and four-star forward Bryce Hopkins in the 2021 class.
With the addition of Tshiebwe officially added, space in the UK is already limited, and that’s a good thing. There is not a screaming hole underneath as it stands along with the five probable pieces in Tshiebwe, Toppin, Ware, Collins and Hopkins, and when Brooks or Jackson returns, the sky is low.
It is not uncommon for you to be able to solidify a top field a year in advance, but Calipari only did so by adding Tshiebwe to the mix.
Someone who wants to be in Kentucky
Aside from what he brings to the table as a player, Tshiebwe is someone who has loved the Kentucky basketball program since he was in high school. As a recruiter, Tshiebwe had deep ties to the West Virginia program that made it almost certain that he would end up in Morgantown, regardless of who came to call.
But make no mistake about it, Tshiebwe liked what Calipari and the British program first offered.
“It was a difficult decision because I like Kentucky and I like Coach Calipari,” Tshiebwe told KSR at the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game. ‘But I ended up in West Virginia because it was a school I was thinking about (growing up)). I like the way they play, I like the coach, I like the program. So I finally went there. ”
If he did not sign with the mountaineers, Tshiebwe told KSR he was on his way to Lexington.
Coach Calipari told me, ‘I want to coach you! Come play for me! I’m going to coach you and help you become a good player. I will help you achieve your dreams. … Kentucky was second. ‘
Two years later, Tshiebwe is finally a Kentucky Wildcat.