Kentucky, Miami Targeting Former WVU Big Oscar Tshiebwe In Transfer Portal
One week after leaving the Mountaineers for “personal reasons,” West Virginia’s 6-9 sophomore big man, Oscar Tshiebwe, officially entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Tshiebwe was a 5-star center prospect and McDonald’s All-American out of high school, and was expected to make an immediate impact for the Mountaineers. During his freshman year, Tshiebwe led the Mountaineers in both scoring (11.2) and rebounding (9.3).
In his first year at West Virginia, Tshiebwe and forward Derek Culver combined for 30.7% of the team’s total scoring, making them one of the most dominant frontcourt pairings in the nation.
Following his freshman season, Tshiebwe entered the 2020 NBA draft but ultimately decided to return to West Virginia.
In his sophomore season, Tshiebwe’s performance declined over the 10 games he played for the Mountaineers. He averaged only 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in 19 minutes per game. West Virginia’s backup big man Gabe Osabuohien spent more time on the floor than Tshiebwe in 5 out of 10 games.
Since leaving West Virginia, Tshiebwe has reportedly spent time in South Florida and has been in contact with the University of Miami.
According to Ben Roberts of the Herald-Leader, the University of Kentucky also reached out to the former Mountaineer. Tshiebwe was heavily recruited by the John Calipari and the Wildcats out of high school, and ultimately chose to join West Virginia with Kentucky as a close second.
Tshiebwe told media during the 2019 McDonald’s All-American game that his love for Calipari made his decision difficult. Ultimately, Tshiebwe chose West Virginia because of their coaching staff and playing style.
Tshiebwe plans to narrow his college options to six or seven colleges. He will meet with coaches of those programs via video conference over the next couple of weeks and plans to enroll in his next school for the approaching semester.
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