(Photo by Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
Kentucky got the best basketball transfer on the market for the 2021-22 season.
Oscar Tshiebwe, a center in West Virginia and a former five-star contender, committed to Kentucky, choosing Wildcats over offers and interest from Illinois, Miami (FL) and the state of North Carolina, among others.
After being out for the rest of the 2020-21 season, the youngest Wildcat will have three years of eligibility from 2021-22.
Tshiebwe, a 1.80 m tall and 260-pound pivot from Congo, averaged 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in ten games as a second year before joining the transfer portal last week. The ex-five-star player, who boasts an impressive 2.15-meter wingspan, led West Virginia in scoring and recovery with 11.2 points and 9.3 bags per game as a freshman, respectively. It was a first-year campaign that saw him win the All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Freshman Team honors, along with the Pre-season All-Big 12 Team honors entering the current season. CBS Sports listed the former WVU center as the No. 15 player in college basketball before the 2020-21 season.
Prior to his visit to Morgantown, Tshiebwe was ranked as a five-star contender by 247Sports and Rivals.com, which listed the center of prominence as the 23rd and 26th overall recruit in the 2019 class, respectively. ESPN included him on the list of four-star candidates and the general recruiting number 48 in his class.
He was also named a McDonald’s All-American in 2019, a game that ended with a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes.
In the legendary All-American Game, Tshiebwe told KSR that he loved UK coach John Calipari and what the Kentucky basketball program had to offer.
“It was a tough decision because I like Kentucky and I love Coach Calipari,” said Tshiebwe. “But I ended up in West Virginia because it’s a school that I used to think about (grow up with). I like the way they play, I like the coach, I like the program. That’s why I ended up going there. “
And if he hadn’t signed with the Mountaineers, he was going to Lexington.
“Coach Calipari was saying to me,“ I want to train you! Come play for me! I will train you and help you become a great player. I will help you achieve your dreams. … Kentucky was second. “
It may not have been immediately, but Tshiebwe managed to reach Lexington two years later as a transfer.
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Welcome home, Mr. Tshiebwe.