What does Oscar Tshiebwe’s commitment to Kentucky mean?

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(Photo by Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)

Kentucky has secured a commitment from the main transfer prospects available 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 from the Congo, chose Wildcats instead of offers and interests from Illinois, North Carolina, 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 spent a lot of time praying to God to help me make the best decision for my future. I’m excited about this new chapter in my life. I will continue my career at the University of Kentucky. “

But what does the latest Wildcat addition mean for the program?

Immediate training player

Before you worry about Tshiebwe we can and will do for the team Next → This year, it’s important to note that the talented transfer plans to sign up for the second semester and will head straight to Lexington. Although he will not be eligible to play for the rest of the 2020-21 season, he will still be allowed to practice with the team and work immediately with the team’s strength and conditioning program.

This means that those like Olivier Sarr, Keion Brooks Jr., Isaiah Jackson, Lance Ware and Jacob Toppin will be able to fight Tshiebwe – an absolute reservoir of a man – every day in practice, helping the current group to prepare. for the strong, the physical players on the front field that the team will see during the conference game.

Kentucky is already deep in the stock market – 11 now, with Brooks back in rotation – but the addition of Tshiebwe will ensure Calipari will no longer have to worry about having enough bodies to play in practice. Now he has extras.

Junkyard dog in paint

As for Tshiebwe’s presence on the field, once he was declared eligible in 2021-22, it is quite clear what Kentucky is receiving: a powerful physical workhorse with an endless engine.

Tshiebwe already has a body ready for the NBA, with a wingspan of 7 feet, 260 pounds. It is an anchor on the front field, both literally and figuratively. But the reason there was so much excitement about the former five-star high school prospect was that he simply overtook everyone on the floor, and that remained essential during his time in West Virginia. Whether it’s scuba diving for free balls, fighting for hard kicks or running ahead of the competition in fast breaks, Tshiebwe is no exception.

This quote from the former Mountaineer Center says it all:

“I’m a car,” Tshiebwe said West Virginia The life of a climber video series. “The way I play, most of the people we play against, ask me the same question during the games. “Brother, how come you don’t get tired?” I say, “I’m tired, but I don’t stop when I’m tired. I stop when I’m done. “

Tshiebwe remains a bit brutal at the offensive end – he is relatively new to the sport – but compensates by doing dirty work on both ends of the floor. There is a reason why he almost mediated a double-double – 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game – as a graduate, after all.

Next year’s field can be complete

Likewise, Kentucky’s front field for next season looks pretty loaded.

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

With Tshiebwe officially added to the picture, space is already limited in the UK court and is a good thing. There is no bright hole down, as it stands with the five probable pieces of Tshiebwe, Toppin, Ware, Collins and Hopkins, and if Brooks or Jackson return, the sky is the limit.

You can’t often solidify a first-class field a full year in advance, but Calipari did just that by adding Tshiebwe to the mix.

Someone who wants to be in Kentucky

Beyond 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 deep ties to the West Virginia program, which made it almost certain he would reach Morgantown, no matter who called.

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

“It was a tough decision because I like Kentucky and I like coach Calipari,” Tshiebwe told KSR at the McDonald’s All-American Game in 2019. “But I came to West Virginia because it’s a school I was thinking about (growing up ). I like the way he plays, I like the coach, I like the schedule. That’s why I ended up going there. “

If he hadn’t signed with the climbers, Tshiebwe told KSR he was heading to Lexington.

“Coach Calipari used to say to me: ‘I want to train you! Come play for me! I will train 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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