On Wednesday, Oscar Tshiebwe announced a return to Kentucky on SportsCenter. Making for the first time in the Calipari era that the team’s best player has returned, giving the Big Blue Nation good reason to be excited next season.
On Friday, the unanimous Player of the Year held a press conference to talk about his decision and
Let’s take a look at what he had to say.
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What sort of feedback did you get from NBA people?
“The feedback I got from the NBA was like, ‘Oscar if you can expand your game from outside, make one or two three-pointers per game, attack the rim, make your passes, get better dribbling, you’ll be good and in good position next year.”
On if John Calipari will let him shoot threes, Tshiebwe said, “He told me he will let me shoot threes as long as I keep making them”. He also noted that he has already begun working on his outside shot in workouts and pickup games.
Tshiebwe doesn’t believe the challenge is too great to add a perimeter game to his already elite inside game, saying, “I don’t think it’s going to be bad, because I’m still going to do exactly what I do, but sometimes just go out there [perimter], especially when coaches play two bigs.”
Joining the team in early 2021, Tshiebwe worked out for 8 months straight and became the National Player of the Year. Tshiebwe believes by starting to put in the work now, his game can be on a”different level” come November.
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Now that people know what you’re capable of, what are the expectations for you coming back?
Prior to the season, Tshiebwe set a lofty goal of averaging 20+ rebounds per game. People didn’t take it too seriously, not knowing what to expect from the West Virginia transfer.
While he didn’t average 20, Tshiebwe averaged 15.2 rebounds per game, becoming just the second player to do so since 1980 en route to becoming the unanimous Player of the Year.
Now knowing what “Big O” is capable of, expectations will be high, but he is not worried saying by adding new facets to his game, “I’m going to surprise a lot of people. Be like, wow, Oscar is just a good basketball player.”
As the National Player of the Year, Tshiebwe will have a target on his back for opposing teams, but he embraces it and says, “I like when I am target”.
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Kentucky is not Losing to Saint Peter’s again
Upon his return, Tshiebwe said he told his teammates, “Let’s Go Beat Saint Peter’s, we cannot let Saint Peter’s beat us again.”
Even noting that the loss gave him some motivation for a return saying, “I said this was most disrespectful thing, I cannot end my college career losing to Saint Peter’s. So I say I gotta come back… we gotta run it back.”
Interestingly Tshiebwe talked about some of the players not being ready for the NCAA Tournament, “Some of my teammates were not ready, but I was ready” and with a 30-point and 16-rebound performance against Saint Peter’s that was very noticeable.
Tshiebwe ensures that will not be the case again, “I tell coach, ‘If I see somebody not ready, I’m gonna take your place. I’m just gonna sub him.’ I’ll be the coach for a minute’”.
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Do you feel confident that your NIL situation will get worked out?
Tshiebwe has never been shy about sharing his goal of using basketball to help provide for his family, with his student visa status causing limitations to his NIL earning potential, many thought that would push him to the NBA.
While nothing has been made official or been announced NIL wise, Tshiebwe did say he was confident, saying, “I feel confident. I’m a man of God, I trust what God is telling me. I know it is kind of tricky being an international student, but I believe it’s going to work out. God is going to open a way for me.”
When asked about the reported $2 million Tshiebwe said, “I don’t know about that, but that’s good money right there,” causing the whole room to laugh.
Tshiebwe talked about wanting to make an impact and help other international players be able to benefit from NIL, which is why he met with Kentucky senator, Mitch McConnell.
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On his decision to return
With his return, there is an assumption that the NIL situation has been worked out. However, Tshiebwe said that he didn’t make a decision based on NIL as it is a “distraction” but made his decision on what he heard from God.
On Friday, John Calipari said in a radio interview, “there were people in his [Tshiebwe] ear trying to get him to leave until the very end, up until he sat in that chair [on SportsCenter],” and even discussed that at one point, Tshiebwe recorded two videos for both a return and a departure to the NBA.
In this press conference, Thsiebwe echoed the same sentiment, saying, “there was like 50 and 50. People wanted me to leave. People wanted me to stay… ‘So who’s speaking the truth?’ I did not know. But I hear the voice of God and that was a true voice.
On his teammates testing the waters? (Keion Brooks Jr and Shaedon Sharpe)
Tshiebwe called Shaedon a “bucket” and said that he wants him back because it could be a “different level” of basketball.
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With that said, he understands that Brooks and Sharpe both have to receive the feedback and make the decisions themselves, but notes, “either way, we’re good.”
Tshiebwe has work to do off the court
On the court, Tshiebwe is one of the most dominant players in college basketball. Off the court, he is a tremendous ambassador for Jesus Christ. “Inspire people, bring people to Jesus, teach people about God”, Tshiebwe said of what God wants him to do.
Tshiebwe understands the impact he has on the community and wants to use that “not just for basketball but to go to places to teach people about God.”
Fan interaction while he was making his decision
Tshiebwe has gotten accustomed to the craziness of Kentucky fans within the state but was shocked as he traveled around the country to accept awards, and received a similar reaction.
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“I was in California, I thought like when I land in California I would be at peace, people don’t know me. As soon as I land in the airport everybody says ‘Oscar’ everywhere. I said wow’,” Tshiebwe said.
Tshiebwe has already become an all-time fan favorite in just one season, and with a second season, he could possibly cement his name in the Rupp Arena rafters.
“People are very excited and I am very excited to run it back this season.”
Tshiebwe repeated several times that next season is not about fun nor himself, “I win national Player of the Year, now it’s time to get the trophy [NCAA Championship] to put somewhere in the school”, even saying he is willing to travel with Calipari to help recruit.
The state of the Southeastern Conference in men’s basketball this year is unlike any year in recent memory. With three teams in the top five (for now,) and eight in the AP top 25, the SEC accounts for about one-third of the current nationally ranked teams. The next closest conference tallies just over half that number, with five ranked teams from the Big 10. Put plainly, the SEC is the best conference in college basketball.
So how do the fourth-ranked Wildcats stack up? Well, following a 20-point loss to unranked Ohio State on a neutral floor, they’ll definitely drop out of the top five. But this loss isn’t the first, last, or only game that the Cats will play this year, although it may feel that way right now.
Sharing the Wealth
At 10-2 with signature wins over Duke and Gonzaga, there are significant positives and negatives on both sides of the ball that should paint a relatively clear picture regarding the upcoming conference gauntlet that the team is set to face.
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Perhaps the most reassuring aspect of this year’s unit is the ability to move and, at times, score the ball. Their 18.8 assists averaged as a team is good for top 10 nationally, and when they can consistently make shots, this translates to scoring nearly 90 points per game. Their current average sits at 89.1.
Shooting Struggles
The problem is, they aren’t consistently making shots. The Cats’ 48% composite mark from the field doesn’t seem that bad, but when you factor in the seemingly ever-dwindling three-point percentage (36%,) the worries start to make more sense.
It doesn’t help that this team is supposed to rely on the perimeter to score, according to Coach Pope. On multiple occasions and as recently as this past week, Pope has expressed a desire to shoot more threes. Going into the season, he set the mark at 30 attempts per game.
Kentucky has only met that mark in three games this season, against Bucknell, Jackson St., and Colgate, all at home. In the loss to Ohio State, they shot just 4-22 from the arc, charting a season-low 18.2%. The deep ball has officially become a question mark.
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Tooth and Nail
General physicality has also proven to be a serious problem for this Kentucky team. In the losses against Clemson and Ohio State, they’ve lost the turnover battles in both and, at best, tied their opposition on the glass.
This struggle to contend with muscle on either end of the floor has negatively impacted that aforementioned long-range statistic too, wherein the Cats find fewer open looks from outside as a result of defenders pushing them well past the three-point line.
And when they do find themselves on the other side of a scrap with an opportunity at the free throw line, they’re only converting about 74% of their attempts. On average, they’ll leave around six free points on the floor every game. When you consider the four-point loss to Clemson, that statistic specifically starts to sting.
Stay the Course
Even still, the rafters of Rupp aren’t falling down… at least not yet. Coach Pope and the Cats have had 10 days of downtime before their home matchup with Brown, and then another five to prepare for their first SEC bout with seventh-ranked Florida, also at home. They’ve got the time, and facilities, to fix what’s broken and double down on what works.
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The SEC is a high-octane, hyper-physical conference that’ll be sure to challenge every aspect of this Kentucky team. But going forward, fans should have hope that the Cats will put it together. Consider again the gritty comebacks against Duke and Gonzaga on neutral floors, as well as the recent breakout shooting performance against Louisville, which saw Kentucky shoot 11-21 from three, or 52%.
It’s a long season and, despite two frustrating losses, the Wildcats have earned a little patience to this point. Either way, nothing can be said beyond speculation until the match with the Gators on Jan. 4th. All we can do until then is cross our arms and wait.
The Kentucky Wildcats are off to the Big Apple in hopes of snagging an early Christmas present as they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the CBS Sports Classic. Game time is set for approximately 5:30 PM ET this Saturday at Madison Square Garden on CBS, right after the North Carolina Tar Heels vs. UCLA Bruins matchup.
The Buckeyes are led by first-year head coach Jake Diebler, a former player who was promoted after Chris Holtmann was fired last season. The Buckeyes ended the season 8-3 under Diebler after a 14-11 start with Holtmann.
Now in his first full season, the Buckeyes have arguably the most inconsistent team in the country. In fact, according to TeamRankings, the Buckeyes are the fifth most inconsistent team in the country (Kentucky is actually 173rd, likely due to some of their sporadic performances vs. mid-majors).
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With wins over Texas and Rutgers, Ohio State has the talent to win. With three of their four losses coming by 14 or more points, including a 38-point loss to Auburn, they could lose big.
Let’s take a look at the matchup.
3-Point Shooting
Kentucky just played one of the least efficient 3-point shooting teams in Louisville but will be tested with the opposite with Ohio State as the Buckeyes shoot nearly 41% from deep, ranked 10th nationally, on just 22 attempts per game.
Their three-point attack is led by their quartet of guards: John Mobley, Meechie Johnson, Brian Thornton, and Micah Parrish. Together, they account for 80% of the team’s three-point attempts.
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However, on Tuesday, it was announced that Johnson would be taking a leave of absence, which certainly hurts them. He’s also given Kentucky plenty of trouble, scoring 14 points in last year’s win over the Wildcats in Columbia. He scored 26 in the win at Kentucky during the 2022-23 season.
The Wildcats seemed to finally get out of their shooting slump against Louisville, shooting over 40% from deep for the first time since the Jackson State game on November 22nd.
However, that included a heroic 6/6 effort from Lamont Butler. Can the team sustain that level of shooting going forward?
Crash Offensive Glass
Ohio State has size, but despite that, they have been outrebounded in four of their six games against Power Six opponents. This includes all four of their losses.
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Kentucky averages eight rebounds more per game than the Buckeyes, but it’s the offensive glass where Kentucky could take advantage of most. More often than not, extra possessions with this Kentucky offense lead to more points.
We’ve seen plenty of games where Kentucky was beaten badly on the boards in the first half, only to patch things up out of the halftime break. Let’s see if Kentucky can put together a full game of rebounding well vs. a Power Six team.
Free Throws
As many shooters as there are on this Kentucky team, they have been very inconsistent from the free-throw line, especially of late. Shooting a mediocre 72.3% on the season, the Wildcats have shot below 65% in three of four games in December, the exception being the Gonzaga game.
Ohio State plays a physical brand of defense and commits more than 18 fouls per game. The Wildcats need to shoot 75% from the line. The poor free-throw shooting is starting to become a pattern, but it’s something you know Mark Pope and Co. are putting a lot of effort into fixing it.
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Hopefully, the Wildcats will respond with a much better outing in a neutral-court arena that’s similar to what they’ll see in March Madness.
Time: Approximately 5:30 PM ET on December 21st, 2024 Location: Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York TV Channel: CBS Online Stream: CBS Sports and the CBS Sports app Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network. Replay:WatchESPN and ESPN network of channels (check local listings). Rosters:UK | OSU Stats to Know:UK | OSU KenPom: UK | OSU Team Sheet: UK | OSU
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky favored by 6.5 points with an over/under of 160.5 points. EvanMiya is the most confident in Kentucky at 82% percent in favor of the Wildcats to take down the Buckeyes. KenPom is just at 64%. Bart Torvik (72%) and ESPN (65.8%) fall in between.
Predictions: EvanMiya projects an 84-73 win. Haslametrics (81-75) and Bart Torvik (83-77) say a six-point victory. KenPom (82-78) projects the lowest margin of victory at just four points. I think the Cats will get the win in New York, so I’m predicting an 86-73 victory, Kentucky!
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How do you see this one going? Send us your Kentucky vs. Ohio State score predictions in the comments!
On Wednesday during his pre-Ohio State press conference, Mark Pope provided a brief update on the injury status of Kerr Kriisa. Kriisa went down with a jones fracture against Gonzaga and underwent surgery.
Discussing injury updates, moving onto Kerr Kriisa. Kriisa had surgery almost immediately after the Cats returned home from their loss at Clemson. In an interview last week, Pope predicted Kriisa would miss the next 6 weeks of basketball, even though he didn’t seem confident in that prediction.
In yesterday’s press conference, Pope informed BBN that Kerr recently started getting back in the weight room, “doing strength and conditioning”. Pope went on to joke that the UK coaching staff’s “goal is to make the weight room so unpleasant that he’s wanting to get back on the court” as soon as he can.
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Whether intentionally or not, it does seem like Pope is giving BBN reason to believe Kerr will return before the 6-week initial prediction is over. But in the end, Pope could only say that they hope Kerr “returns sooner rather than later” but at the end of the day, “there are some things that are out of our control.”
Men's Basketball2 weeks ago