Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler reveal Kentucky's biggest challenge entering NCAA Tournament

Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler have been waiting all season long for this moment. The pair of Kentucky basketball stars are set to lead the two-seeded Wildcats into the NCAA Tournament on Thursday in a first round matchup against St. Peter’s.

Despite their team’s high seed, Tshiebwe and Wheeler both know nothing comes easy in March Madness. Their season could easily end at the hands of a 15 seed in the round of 64. In a Wednesday press conference, both players discussed the biggest challenge of playing in the NCAA Tournament.

“I think the biggest challenge obviously is getting past the first game,” Wheeler said. “As coach Cal says, the first game is the hardest. And then from then on, it’s quick turnarounds. Each weekend, if you win the next game, you get a day break, and there is another game after that. So being quick minded, knowing that it’s the next play, next possession, but also standing together. At the end of the day, all these teams are really good. Basketball is a game of runs, so being able to sustain everyone’s run, take that and counter it with our own run and stay together.”

Tshiebwe agreed, saying Kentucky can find success by simply focusing on the matchup in front of them.

“The biggest would be working — we know this team is going to come out and try and do a lot of different things, but coach has been preparing us to be ready,” Tshiebwe said. “We are going to move well, and we’re ready to go. Our defense is pretty good, and we are excited. I can’t wait to play tomorrow.”

Both Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler joined the Wildcats this past offseason as transfer players. Tshiebwe came from West Virginia while Wheeler jumped over from SEC foe Georgia. The pair — in addition to Davidson transfer Kellan Grady — have made a massive impact on the team, with Tshiebwe even being named a semifinalist for the Naishmith Player of the Year award. The 6-foot-9, 255-pound center leads the NCAA with 15.2 rebounds per game in addition to 17 points.

Wheeler has been equally impactful after being named second team All-SEC at the conclusion of the regular season. He leads the Wildcats with 6.9 assists per game while also scoring 10 points on average. The combination of him and Tshiebwe is just a part of the reason many believe Kentucky is a popular pick among pundits to not only reach the Final Four, but also cut down the nets this year.

The Wildcats are set to tip off against St. Peter’s at 7:10 p.m. ET Thursday in Indianapolis.