Oscar Tshiebwe, an elderly student from West Virginia, is leaving the Mountaineers program for personal reasons, the school announced on Friday morning.
“Oscar has our full support and we definitely wish him all the best during this time,” said coach Bob Huggins.
There have been rumors of a possible transfer to Tshiebwe, and although West Virginia’s statement does not specify its next move, it is clear it will not be available to climbers in the near future. Tshiebwe’s number has dropped since last season, but this is still a significant loss for West Virginia’s No. 9.
Tshiebwe, a 6 and 9 meter tall man from Congo, was one of the best freshmen in the country last season, averaging 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds. He announced that he would enter the NBA Draft after the season, but withdrew his name and returned to Morgantown.
He has an average of 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds this season, and his minutes have dropped to less than 20 per game. Against Kansas at the end of last month, Tshiebwe played only 18 minutes and totaled three points and five tables. He still showed the potential to dominate in the paint, going for 11 points and 16 rebounds against VCU in November and 14 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes against Gonzaga in December.
Recruited to the top 50 in the 2019 class, Tshiebwe was a projected choice in the second round of ESPN’s 2021 simulation project last summer, but has since moved out of the top 100.