Oscar Tshiebwe returning to Kentucky for a senior season
Ready for that good news? Oscar Tshiebwe is BACK. On SportsCenter, the unanimous National Player of the Year announced he returning to Kentucky for his senior season instead of going to the NBA Draft, giving John Calipari and the Cats a cornerstone for the 2022-23 roster.
“I’m a person who, I don’t make a decision based on what I think is good for me. I think most of the time I pray for it and I ask God what is good for me, that I can do. We’ve been fasting and praying with my family, my mom, and everybody to try to ask God for a decision to help us. I asked God, ‘You have brought me, I became the national player of the year, but why is my name not in the first round?’ I always wanted to be a lottery pick, top ten, top fifteen. I asked God, ‘Why am I not there yet?’
“God has told me he’s not done with me yet. So, I decided. He told me he wanted me to go back to just work because it’s not done with me in this place yet. I’ll be back again. So, I’ll be here next year at Kentucky. I’ll be in the blue in Kentucky next year again.”
Tshiebwe told SportsCenter‘s Sage Steele he made his decision about a week ago.
“I was not sure if it was the right decision to do so we were still praying, praying, praying, but God, he told me I’ve got to make this decision so I just decided to announce today.”
Oscar wants to improve to become a lottery pick
Oscar was a second-round pick in most mock drafts. He told Steele he’s returning to Kentucky in hopes of improving his draft stock to be a lottery pick next year.
“Absolutely,” Oscar said when asked if he would have gone to the draft if he was a projected lottery pick now. “When I was praying one day to play for Kentucky, it was not the easy way but God opened the door. Now I’m at Kentucky and I’m making one of my dreams come true. Now I’m going to be a lottery pick but I’m not there yet so that means the door is still closed but God can make it possible so that’s why I always pray. I can see myself being a lottery pick but I just trust God that I’ll get there.”
What does he have to do to make that happen? Oscar shared some of the information he’s already received from the league on how to expand his game.
“We’ve got to get a lot of information from the NBA, GM of NBA teams about how they want my game to expand a little bit. They want me to be able to make one or two three-pointers. They want me to catch the ball and drive and finish it, catch the ball, drive, and make a pass and get better at dribbling. Those things, those are the things I’ve got to improve next year.”
The many impacts of Oscar Tshiebwe’s return
Oscar’s return is huge for many reasons. From a basketball standpoint, you can’t ask for a better player to build your team around. Oscar led Kentucky in scoring (17.4 PPG), rebounding (15.1 RPG), steals (1.8 SPG), and blocks (1.6 BPG) last season and won all six National Player of the Year awards. He had 10+ rebounds in all but two games and finished the season with 28 double-doubles, a new Kentucky Basketball single-season record. By the end of the year, Oscar was responsible for 37.8% of all of Kentucky’s rebounds; taking away team rebounds, that number jumps to 41.2%. He also accounted for 21.8% of the team’s scoring. When is the last time Kentucky returned such a significant piece? The Twins?
When it comes to intangibles, Oscar’s return might be even bigger. He is the heart and soul of the team. The devastation of Kentucky’s first-round loss to Saint Peter’s was punctuated by the sight of Oscar sobbing on the sideline. Now, he’s got one more chance to write the ending to his college career, further motivation for the hardest-working player in college basketball. Godspeed to any records standing in his way. The last unanimous National Player of the Year to return to school was Tyler Hansbrough in 2008; the next season, he led North Carolina to a national championship.
This is also a huge win for John Calipari. Coming off a historically bad season, Calipari went back to the drawing board, shaking up his staff and rebuilding the roster with talent and experience. At times, Kentucky looked unbeatable, with a machine inside, shooters outside, and a point guard that masterfully ran the show. Unfortunately, the Cats’ dreams of redemption were dashed far too early, once again cranking up the heat on Calipari. The Big Blue Nation is undeniably in a funk; getting Oscar back will keep most fans on board, and for that, John Calipari should be grateful.
Finally, and most importantly, Oscar’s return is a win for his family. Due to his student visa, the biggest fan favorite in recent memory has been unable to make money off his name, image, and likeness (NIL). Behind the scenes, Oscar’s team worked tirelessly to get around the restrictions so he could provide for his mother and family in the Congo. Until there is new federal legislation or clarity from Homeland Security regarding foreign students and NIL — which Oscar met with Senator Mitch McConnell to push for — the path won’t be completely clear, but for now, Oscar’s team has found solutions to make staying in Lexington for another season financially feasible. For a player who finally got his dream of playing for Kentucky after a detour in West Virginia, that’s a prayer answered.
There is still work to be done on the next season’s roster, but Oscar coming back is the best news we could have asked for.
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