Tshiebwe says he can't be stopped after UK's first 20-point/20-rebound game in 46 years

Oscar Tshiebwe rewrote Kentucky Basketball’s record books yet again in the win over Mississippi State. With a team-high 21 points and a game-high 22 rebounds, Tshiebwe had Kentucky’s first 20-point/20-rebound game in 46 years.

Until Tshiebwe, Mike Phillips had the program’s most recent 20/20 game all the way back in February of 1976. One of the Twin Towers, Phillips scored 35 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a win against LSU.

Tshiebwe’s 20/20 isn’t his only “First Since Mike Phillips” game this season. Back in December, Tshiebwe broke the Rupp Arena record for rebounds in a single game with 28 against Western Kentucky. Until then, nobody had 28 rebounds in a game since Mike Phillips in 1976. Phillips grabbed 28 boards against Tennessee.

Shout-out to the late Mike Phillips.

Tshiebwe: “Rebounding belongs to me. You can’t stop me.”

Early in the season when Tshiebwe was out-rebounding Kentucky’s non-conference opponents at a remarkable rate, many wondered if his numbers could last in league play. Now eight games in, it’s becoming clear that no one can stop him on the glass. He’s getting almost 16 rebounds a game against the Southeastern Conference and calling dibs on future rebounds. Rebounds belong to him, he says.

“The only thing people cannot do, they cannot stop me from getting rebounds,” said Tshiebwe following Kentucky’s win over Mississippi State. “They can stop me sometimes from scoring, but rebounding belongs to me. You can’t stop me. That’s the one thing I fight for the most.”

No injury concerns

It’s hard to imagine a guy spending any time in the locker room during a 21-point, 22-rebound performance, but Tshiebwe needed a break in the back after rolling his ankle. He returned with eight minutes to go to finish out his domination inside. After the game, he confirmed there are no lingering injury concerns.

“I had a little bit of a twist,” Tshiebwe explained in the postgame Zoom. “I went to re-tape, that’s why I left the court a little bit. Jacob (Toppin) had the same thing, but we good.”

So Tshiebwe and Toppin are good, which is good news ahead of the trip to Kansas.

“It’s going to be a good game like this,” said Tshiebwe, “and now we know what we have to do to win a game like that.”