By: Cole Livengood | WV Sports Chat
Former WVU basketball standout, Oscar Tshiebwe, seems to have found his home in the NBA after signing with the Utah Jazz. Tshiebwe committed to West Virginia back in 2019. He was one of the most prestigious recruits Bob Huggins landed during his tenure in Morgantown. The former five-star chose the Mountaineers over the likes of Kentucky, Baylor, and Kansas. He averaged 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds as a freshman.
Tshiebwe fit right in to the Mountaineers scheme alongside Derick Culver and Jalen Bridges, but his time in Morgantown turned sour during the 2020-21 offseason. In an interview with The Athletic, Tshiebwe said he wanted to transfer out of West Virginia following his freshman season.
Just ten games into his sophomore season in Morgantown, the Congo native announced he would be stepping away from the program for “personal reasons” and never returned to the program. Instead, Tshiebwe entered his name into the transfer portal and eventually committed to Kentucky. It’s there where he would unlock his true potential.
Tshiebwe was the key focus of Calipari’s offense, averaging 17.4 points, 15.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game in his first season as a Wildcat. His explosive junior season earned him National Player of The Year honors, alongside the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award, and a consensus First-Team All-American selection. The 7-footer returned to Kentucky for his senior year where he would do much of the same, leading the nation in rebounding for the second straight year.
Surprisingly, the 23-year-old would go undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. However, he signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers.
Tshiebwe dominated his rookie season for the Indiana Mad Ants, the G-League affiliate of the Pacers. He averaged 16.2 points and 16.1 rebounds per game in 27 minutes. His rebounding numbers shattered the Mad Ants franchise records. The rookie claimed the offensive, defensive, and total rebounds in a season records. This dominant rookie season unsurprisingly earned Tshiebwe G-League Rookie of The Year honors.
Despite Tshiebwe winning G-League Rookie of The Year, Indiana did not resign the rising star. This led to his signing with the Utah Jazz. He somehow found a way to improve his averages even more during his time with Utah’s affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. He finished with 17.1 points, 19.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.2 steals in 26 games for the Stars. The Jazz gave Tshiebwe his first true NBA oppurtunity last season, allowing the second-year pro to play in 14 games where he averaged 7.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in 18 minutes of action per game.
Tshiebwe agreed to a one-year two-way contract with the Jazz, which allows him to play in up to 50 NBA games next season, while continuing his development in the G-League. Tshiebwe is one of just three former Mountaineers on NBA rosters for the upcoming season. He joins Jevon Carter and Miles McBride in that group. The third-year pro will look to earn his third straight First-Team All-NBA G-League selection and maybe even a long term contract this offseason.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
