Kentucky’s 2022 prospects got a huge boost on Wednesday as big man Oscar Tshiebwe, the reigning National Player of the Year, announced his decision to return to the Wildcats for his senior season. Tshiebwe’s decision, announced on ESPN, makes him the first Player of the Year winner in men’s college basketball since Tyler Hansbrough in 2008 to claim the award and then return for another season.
Hansbrough’s return ultimately led to North Carolina winning the national championship the following year.
“I prayed and asked God what is good for me. I’ve been fasting and praying with my family to try and ask God for a decision to help us,” Tshiebwe said on ESPN. “God has told me he is not done with me yet. So he told me he wants me to go back, because he is not done with me in this space. I’ll be back again next year in Kentucky.”
Tshiebwe transferred from West Virginia to Kentucky in 2021 and immediately made his presence felt, averaging 17.4 points and a nation-leading 15.1 rebounds per game for the Wildcats as a junior. The former five-star recruit blossomed into the most dominant big man in the sport under coach John Calipari in Lexington, Kentucky, while bringing home SEC Player of the Year and All-Defense honors with the league as well.
Kentucky flourished with Tshiebwe as its centerpiece as well, earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, the combination of a first-round NCAA Tournament exit, NIL opportunities and Tshiebwe’s current NBA prospects as an unlikely first-round talent ultimately pushed him back for one more season.
“We’ve been getting a lot of information from the NBA about how they want my game to expand a little bit,” he said. “They want me to be able to make one or two 3-point shots, they want me to catch the ball, drive and make a pass, get better at dribbling. Those things are the things I want to be able to improve on next year.”
Kentucky is likely to lose freshman TyTy Washington to the NBA Draft and the general makeup of the 2022-23 roster is still being sorted, but with Tshiebwe back, Calipari and Co. have a foundation on which to build a potential contender after a disappointing finish to the 2021-22 season. Tshiebwe will be a star alongside what looks to be an exciting incoming class next to five-star freshmen and top-10 talents Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston.
