Lance Ware embraces Oscar Tshiebwe's return to Kentucky's frontcourt

Oscar Tshiebwe‘s decision to return to Kentucky for another season probably impacts Lance Ware more than any other player on the Wildcats’ roster, but you won’t hear Ware complain. Last season, the sophomore’s minutes were cut in half as he played behind the national player of the year. Upon hearing the news that Oscar is coming back for one more season, a lot of players in Ware’s situation probably would have transferred in search of more minutes. Ware told reporters today that leaving Kentucky wasn’t something he really considered.

“Not really,” Ware said. “For a second or two but not really. It wasn’t something that played heavy on my mind.”

Ware’s averages dipped in his sophomore season, from 2.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 12.1 minutes per game as a freshman to 1.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 6.3 MGP; however, he made the minutes he was in count, carving out a role as the team’s enforcer.

“Obviously, everybody wants to play more,” Ware said. “If everybody could play 40 minutes per game that’s a perfect world but we don’t live in a perfect world. I’m pretty sure there’s stuff that you want to do that you can’t do.

“I just had to take the cards I was dealt but that’s something I like about Kentucky. You really have to work. When Coach says you have to work for what you want, you have to work for what you want. And if I go somewhere else, it’s not like that all the time. Sometimes stuff is given to you and the stuff that’s given to you always isn’t the easiest or the best. For the fact that I have to work or bring it every day, that’s something you can’t take for granted here.”

Having Oscar back may mean fewer minutes for Ware, but it also means going up against the best player in college basketball day in and day out in practice. Ware said he can’t wait to resume his daily battles with Oscar, including the trash talk.

“If you see Oscar in the games and stuff, it’s the same thing in practice. We go at it but I love Oscar to death. The competition that we have and how we compete in practice, it’s more intense than a game because I talk junk, he talks junk and it’s just great. Honestly, I love practice. I look forward to practice, honestly.”

What would an Oscar/Ware frontcourt look like? We didn’t see it often last year but Ware seemed open to it moving forward.

“I think that if me and Oscar were on the court together, obviously you’d have rebounding, toughness, and [we] both can on the court shoot the 15-footer, stuff like that. I feel like it could work. But it’s something we definitely would have to practice on. It has to be implemented before we do it.”

No matter who gets more minutes, Ware said there will be no hard feelings with Oscar, national player and person of the year.

“I know with Oscar, he wants what’s best for the team as well and that’s what makes him so special. He’s such a team player. Obviously, he rebounds the ball and does all that stuff but you just love Oscar. He wants the best for everybody.”

“If you ever have a National Player of the Year return to school, obviously he has a chance to win it again,” Ware said yesterday. “He’s just a great teammate, even besides all of the basketball stuff. He’s a great teammate and I love to be around him.”

As for Ware, he’s going to make the most of his situation because he knows it’ll pay off in the end.

“I knew I was going to battle regardless [of whether Oscar came back or not]. Like I said, nothing is given, or I don’t want anything given to me because stuff like this, it builds character and stuff that you can take on for the rest of your life, basketball or not. Fighting for minutes might be some of the toughest stuff I ever did so far and I can carry that lesson and give it to my kids, give it to anybody.”

How about Lance’s perspective.