What does Oscar Tshiebwe’s commitment mean for Kentucky?

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(Photo by Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)

Kentucky has secured a commitment to the best available transfer prospects in the country as West Virginia center Oscar Tshiebwe has announced that he will play for John Calipari in Lexington for the 2021-22 season.

Tshiebwe, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound center originally from the Congo, picked the Wildcats over offerings and interest from Illinois, North Carolina State, Miami (FL) and Tennessee, among others.

“I am grateful for the time I spent in West Virginia and the lessons I learned,” Tshiebwe wrote on his social media pages. “I have spent a lot of time praying to God to help me make the best decision for my future. I am excited about this new chapter of my life. I will pursue my career at the University of Kentucky. “

But what does the latest addition from Wildcat mean to the program?

Instant practice player

Before we worry about Tshieb, we can and will do it for the team The next year, it is important to note that the talented transfer plans to enroll in the second semester and move to Lexington immediately. While he is not eligible to play for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, he is allowed to practice with the team and start working with the team’s strength and conditioning program right away.

This means that Olivier Sarr, Keion Brooks Jr., Isaiah Jackson, Lance Ware and Jacob Toppin will be able to compete against Tshiebwe – an absolute tank of a man – every day in training to help the current group prepare for strong , physical players in the frontcourt that the team will continue to see during conference play.

Kentucky is already deep in the scholarship players – 11 now with Brooks back in the rotation – but the addition of Tshiebwe means that Calipari no longer has to worry about having enough bodies to scrimmage in practice. Now he has extras.

Junkyard dog in the paint

As for Tshiebwe’s presence on the field once he qualifies in 2021-22, it’s pretty clear what Kentucky will get: a strong, physical workhorse with an endless motor.

Tshiebwe stands 6 feet-9,260 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and already has an NBA-ready body. He is an anchor in the frontcourt, both literally and figuratively. But the reason there was so much excitement about the former high school five-star perspective was that he just outsmarted everyone on the floor, and that’s remained his staple in his West Virginia time. Whether it’s diving for loose balls, fighting for hard rebounds, or getting ahead of the competition on quick breaks, Tshiebwe isn’t outdated by anyone.

This quote from the former mountaineering center says it all:

“I’m a machine,” Tshiebwe said inside West Virginia Life as a mountaineer video series. “The way I play, most of the people we play against, ask me the same question during matches. “Bro, how don’t you get tired?” I say, “I do get tired, but I don’t stop when I’m tired. I’ll stop when I’m done. “

Tshiebwe stays a bit raw at the attacking end – he’s relatively new to the sport – but he makes up for it by doing the dirty work on both ends of the floor. There’s a reason as a freshman, after all, he nearly averaged a double-double – 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

Next year’s frontcourt may be complete

For example, the Kentucky frontcourt for next season looks quite fraught.

We’re not sure what will happen to Keion Brooks Jr. in terms of his NBA Draft decision, and Olivier Sarr (graduation) and Isaiah Jackson (NBA Draft) could both leave the program, but Jacob Toppin and Lance Ware are both expected to be back next season and Kentucky already has five-star center Daimion Collins and four-star striker Bryce Hopkins signed in the class of 2021.

With Tshiebwe officially added to the picture, space in the British frontcourt is already limited, and that’s a good thing. There’s no blatant hole down as it stands with the five likely pieces in Tshiebwe, Toppin, Ware, Collins, and Hopkins, and if Brooks or Jackson return, the sky’s the limit low.

It’s not often you can bolster a top-notch front court a whole year in advance, but Calipari has done just that by adding Tshiebwe to the mix.

Someone who wants to be in Kentucky

In addition to what he brings to the table as a player, Tshiebwe is someone who has loved the Kentucky basketball program since he was in high school. As a recruit, Tshiebwe had close ties to the West Virginia program, making it almost certain that he would end up in Morgantown no matter who called.

But make no mistake, Tshiebwe liked what Calipari and the UK program had to offer the first time around.

“It was a tough decision because I love Kentucky and I love Coach Calipari,” Tshiebwe told KSR at the McDonald’s All-American Game in 2019. “But I ended up in West Virginia because it’s a school that I attend. thought (growing up). I like the way they play, I like the coach, I like the program. That’s why I went there. “

Had he not signed with the Mountaineers, Tshiebwe would have told KSR he was on his way to Lexington.

“Coach Calipari said to me,“ I want to coach you! Come play for me! I’m going to coach you and help you become a great player. I will help you achieve your dreams. … Kentucky was second. ”

Two years later, Tshiebwe is finally a Kentucky Wildcat.

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