Oscar Tshiebwe voted 2022 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year

oscar-tshiebwe-2022-kentucky-sports-figure-of-the-year — Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio

Oscar Tshiebwe has another award to add to what must be a massive trophy case. Kentucky’s star center was voted 2022 Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year by a panel of 143 media members. For the first time in the 42-year history of the award, Kentucky Wildcats swept the top three, top four if you count former athletes. Kentucky track star Abby Steiner finished second, women’s basketball star Rhyne Howard was third, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was fourth.

This is the fifth year in a row a Wildcat has won Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year. Last year, former Kentucky wideout Wan’Dale Robinson took home the honor. In 2020, it was bestowed upon the late great John Schlarman. In 2019, Lynn Bowden won it, and in 2018, Josh Allen finished first. Oscar is the first Kentucky Men’s Basketball player to finish in the Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year top five since Tyler Ulis finished second in 2016.

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Last season, Oscar led the country in rebounding with 15.1 boards per game to go along with a team-high 17.4 points per contest, winning every National Player of the Year award. He set a Kentucky single-season record with 28 double-doubles while finishing the season as the only major-conference player averaging 1.6 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. His decision to return to Kentucky for a senior season helped pull the Big Blue Nation out of its funk following the loss to Saint Peter’s.

Two horses finished in this year’s top ten. 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Flightline was fifth and Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike was tenth. Head on over to the Herald-Leader to see the complete results and comments on each honoree in the Top 10 from media members statewide — including a few from the KSR crew.