Oscar Tshiebwe could be a fan favorite this season. (UK Athletics Photo)
West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe came to Kentucky midway of last year to provide the physical presence inside UK has lacked in recent years. Even though the Cats flirted with transfers/recruits who could have played that position, coach John Calipari will go into the upcoming season with Tshiebwe the clear No. 1 center. NBA draft analyst Matt Babcock, who writes for www.basketballnews.com, got to watch Tshiebwe recently and liked what he saw.
“Oscar’s physical tools are so impressive. He’s big, strong, and powerful, but he also moves well and has a great motor,” the draft analyst said. “I think he’s more than capable of doing traditional blue-collar big man work, but he’s also shown some growth in his ability to hit an open shot with some decent range, which adds value to him as a player.”
ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg also recently told me that Tshiebwe was a better shooter than most realized also. However, Babcock mentioned something Greenberg didn’t.
“Oscar also seems like a really likable guy. I think he’s going to be a fan favorite in Lexington,” Babcock said.
Babcock believes Tshiebwe could be a bit underappreciated nationally because he left West Virginia midway of his sophomore season when his numbers were not matching what he did his freshman year.
“If I were to bet on it, I believe Oscar will be playing in the NBA after next season,” Babcock said. “There is no doubt that Oscar has done a good job of developing his outside shooting. However, I don’t think he needs to add a ton to his offensive game to be effective or find success long term; I think he can keep things simple.
“If he is able to utilize his physicality, motor, and finishing abilities around the rim while also being able to hit an open shot at a decent rate, I think he’ll be able to find plenty of success at Kentucky and in the future.
“In regards to West Virginia, I like coach Bob Huggins a lot, but he’s well-known for being an extremely tough and demanding coach. Right or wrong on Oscar’s part, I think he got into a rut last year and needed to make a change in order to get back on track.”
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Follow Babcock on Twitter at @MattBabcock11.
