Former WVU assistant Erik Martin happy to see Oscar Tshiebwe shining

When Oscar Tshiebwe took the Rupp Arena floor on Thursday night, there was a familiar face on the other side of the benches.

Sandwiched in between matchups against Michigan State and Gonzaga, Kentucky took easy care of South Carolina State by a final score of 106-63. Tshiebwe played just 14 minutes as he continues to recover from minor knee surgery, but was still incredibly effective with six points and seven rebounds.

His performance came against the Bulldogs’ first-year head coach, Erik Martin, who was an assistant at West Virginia beginning in 2007, where he stayed until this past offseason before taking the job he has now. Martin was on the Mountaineers’ staff while Tshiebwe was on the WVU roster from 2019-21, helping coach the eventual national player of the year on and off the floor.

During Tshiebwe’s time in Morgantown, he was one of the best players in the Big 12 as a freshman. His sophomore season didn’t go nearly as well though and eventually led to him transferring to Kentucky midway through the year. Differences with WVU head coach Bob Huggins are believed to be the reason for Tshiebwe’s departure.

Since arriving at Kentucky, Tshiebwe has become an all-time fan-favorite due to his infectious smile, dedication to his faith, and incredible on-court talent. In reality, that’s exactly what he was long before he came to Lexington. Erik Martin is someone who was able to see it at WVU, and now at UK.

“He still looks like Oscar,” Coach Martin said after Thursday’s game. “One time tonight, he missed a shot and by the time the ball was coming off the rim, he was already back up at the ball and getting it on the glass. I tried to tell our guys, you’re going to have to hit him. That doesn’t mean you’re going to stop him but at least he’ll know you’re there. And he’s just so much.

“Just seeing his smile, Oscar, he’s a great kid. Although, I wasn’t happy that he left West Virginia, I’m happy that he’s doing what he’s doing. At the end of the day, when you’re a coach, you want these kids to be successful. You want them obviously to be successful with you, but if they leave you still cheer. So, I’m glad he’s doing well here. I wish he wouldn’t have played tonight, but I don’t think that would have changed the outcome.”