Oscar Tshiebwe named to third All-American First-Team roster

ZGeogheganKSR

The First-Team honors continue to pile up for Kentucky’s National Player of the Year frontrunner.

On Wednesday morning, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) named Wildcat center Oscar Tshiebwe to the organization’s All-American First-Team, his third First-Team distinction over the last week. The 6-foot-9, 255-pounder also earned First-Team honors from the Associated Press and Sporting News, the latter of which named him Player of the Year. Additionally, Tshiebwe has also been tabbed as one of five finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Joining Tshiebwe on the NABC All-American First-Team are Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji, Illinois center Kofi Cockburn, Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis, and Purdue guard Jaden Ivey.

Big O’s trophy case is going to get crowded…

That's three for Big O!@Oscartshiebwe34 named to the @NABC1927's first team, earning his third NCAA-recognized All-America honor.

📝 https://t.co/6rVLwEOVgv pic.twitter.com/VBr7xN2XY8
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 16, 2022

For the 2021-22 season, Tshiebwe is averaging 17.0 points, 15.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 31.5 minutes per outing across 33 games played. He’s shooting an incredibly efficient 60.2 percent overall from the floor, doing his work both in the paint and through mid-range jumpers. Tshiebwe is on pace to become the first player in over 40 years to average at least 15 rebounds per contest.

The NABC hasn’t selected a Wildcat to any of its three All-American teams since PJ Washington was tabbed to the Third-Team back in 2019. Willie Cauley-Stein was the last to receive First-Team honors, doing so in 2015. The NABC recognition is the third of four major NCAA awards to be announced, with the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) still yet to unveil its All-American rosters. Tshiebwe can become Kentucky’s first unanimous First-Team selection since Tyler Ulis back in 2016.

Entering the 2022 NCAA Tournament, where UK will face Saint Peter’s in the opening round on Thursday, Tshiebwe has hauled in 499 rebounds this season, third-most in program history across a single season. He’ll need 30 to pass Cliff Hagan for second and 69 to jump Bill Spivey for first. With a potential of six games left on the schedule, Tshiebwe will have the opportunity to break that record.