Overview
Oscar Tshiebwe grew up playing soccer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but switched to basketball given his height (6-foot-9). Before moving to the United States in 2015 for high school, Tshiebwe attended a basketball camp by Congolese NBA player Bismack Biyombo. After a stellar senior season, Tshiebwe was named Pennsylvania’s High School Player of the Year and was a five-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports. He started his college career at West Virginia and was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 in 2019-20. He played 10 games as a sophomore before leaving the school for personal reasons. Tshiebwe transferred to Kentucky for his junior year in 2021-22 where he earned National Player of the Year behind his 17.4 points on 60.6 FG%, 15.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 assists. He finished his senior campaign strong and landed on the All-American Second Team.
Analysis
Tshiebwe was one of the best rebounding bigs in college basketball. He’s best as a weight-heavy bully, but still possesses great footwork and a long wingspan, which allows him to be effective around the basket on both ends of the floor. He can protect the rim and run screen-and-rolls. It’s possible Tshiebwe turns into a passable mid-range shooter, given his solid free-throw percentage (72.9% in his senior season).
Projection
Tshiebwe’s rebounding dominance in a bulky frame draws natural comparisons to Andre Drummond and Steven Adams, although, he’s about two inches shorter than both NBA players. While the center’s accolades are impressive, Tshiebwe still might have to fight for a roster spot as a rookie. But his skillset could be beneficial for some teams in need of a rebounder off the bench. It might be tough for him to eventually become a starter, but there’s a pathway for Tshiebwe to become a reliable backup big.
— Profile by RotoWire