(Photo by Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
Kentucky got the best basketball transfer prospect on the market in the 2021-22 season.
The West Virginia center and former five-star prospect Oscar Tshiebwe has been hired in Kentucky, choosing Wildcats instead of offers and interests from Illinois, Miami (FL) and North Carolina, among others.
After the rest of the 2020-21 season, the newest Wildcat will have three years of eligibility starting in 2021-22.
Tshiebwe, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound center originally from Congo, averaged 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in ten games as a sophomore year before entering the transfer portal last week. The former five-star prospect, who boasts an impressive 7-foot and 5-foot wingspan, led West Virginia in scoring and rebounding by 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, respectively, as a freshman . It was a first-year campaign that saw him win the All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Freshman Team honors, along with the Pre-Season All-Big 12 Team honors entering the current season. CBS Sports listed the former WVU center as the number 15 college basketball player before the 2020-21 season.
Prior to spending time in Morgantown, Tshiebwe was ranked as a five-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals.com, which ranked the center as the total number of recruits no. 23 and no. 26 from the 2019 class, respectively. ESPN listed him as a four-star prospect and number 48 in the general recruitment of his class.
He was also named McDonald’s All-American in 2019, a game in which he finished with a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes.
At the legendary All-American Game, Tshiebwe told KSR that he loves the head coach of Great Britain, John Calipari, and that he has to offer the basketball program in Kentucky.
“It was a difficult decision because I like Kentucky and I like coach Calipari,” Tshiebwe said. “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. “
And if he hadn’t signed with the climbers, he was heading for 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. “
It may not have been immediately, but Tshiebwe found his way to Lexington two years later as a transfer.
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Welcome home, Mr. Tshiebwe.