Oscar Tshiebwe's time with the Kentucky Wildcats is ending after two seasons.
Matt Jones @KySportsRadioOscar staying in the Draft <a href="">
Travis Branham of 247Sports first reported the star center was "not expected to return to Kentucky and is expected to turn pro ... barring unforeseen changes."
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoopsKentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe will make an announcement at 5 pm, and all signs point to Tshiebwe staying in the NBA Draft, source told <a href="">@Stadium</a>. <br><br>"Unless something crazy happens, he's done with college," one source told <a href="">@Stadium</a>
Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_ATHThis is definitely the expectation in Lexington. With Oscar, there's always a chance of divine intervention between now and 5. <a href="">
Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_ATHTshiebwe's decision a wild ride. He told coaches early in the process he wanted to come back, then his reps threw out a giant NIL number, then UK swung and missed on Dickinson to replace him, then staff went back to "uh-oh, better get Oscar," and now looks like they struck out.
Tshiebwe spent two seasons at West Virginia before transferring to the Wildcats ahead of 2021-22. He promptly averaged 17.4 points, 15.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, winning the National Player of the Year awards in the process.
He followed that by posting 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds and a block per game last season.
Because of his status as a graduate, Tshiebwe could return to college but transfer to a different program if he desired. That doesn't appear to be something he's considering, however.
"That is not an option," he told reporters earlier in May. "I will never transfer. Kentucky's my home. If there's a chance to go professional, I'll go pro. If there's a chance to not go professional, I will go back to Kentucky. I've never even thought about going (another) place. Kentucky is my home. It's a dream place. I can't leave my home. That's my place, forever."
As for his NBA prospects, it's possible he'll go undrafted. While he's an elite rebounder, his offensive game is fairly limited, he's undersized for the position and his defense was disappointing at times this past season.
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie didn't even have Tshiebwe among his top 100 prospects on his latest big board.
Nonetheless, the big man has been going through the draft process this offseason and took part in the NBA Scouting Combine's games.
Rod Boone @rodbooneSpoke with Oscar Tshiebwe following today's session with the <a href="">#Hornets</a>. He said the workout went well. He is going to announce whether he's staying in the draft or returning to Kentucky at 5 p.m.<br><br>"Just trust the process," he said. "But it's going to be a good decision tonight." <a href="">
"The feedback has been great," he told reporters regarding the draft process. "They keep telling me good things, and things that I need to keep working on. They know what I can do best, like you saw today. But they tell me a lot of different things to keep working on."
