By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Oscar Tshiebwe isn’t worried about his future and has placed it all in God’s hands.
“I’m good either way because I know God is going to take care of me no matter what I choose to do in my life,” he said.
Tshiebwe, the consensus National Player of the Year in college basketball last year, announced he would be returning for a second season on Wednesday. Despite his status, he wasn’t projected to be a first-round lottery pick by most analysts.
Tshiebwe added that Name, Image and Likeness endorsements also didn’t play a role in his decision to come back, although restrictions on student-athletes from overseas could hinder his ability to receive lucrative NIL deals. However, he could receive seven figures.
Oscar Tshiebwe offers his million dollar smile at the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday morning. (Photo by Keith Taylor, Kentucky Today)
Tshiebwe recently met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to discuss improvements to endorsement contracts for athletes with a student visa.
“I tell him, if you can help us all, the international (athletes), we can benefit from these things, too,” Tshiebwe said. “We’ve got family we need to help, too. He says he’s going to try because it’s a new thing for him. I know he’s got power.”
Tshiebwe’s teammates and coaches were glad to hear that he would be returning and saying, ‘now let’s go beat Saint Peter’s.’”
“We cannot let Saint Peter’s beat us again,” he said with a laugh. “I can’t end my college career by getting beat by Saint Peter’s … I gotta come back. They were happy.”
Looking back, Tshiebwe admitted some of his teammates “were not ready” for March Madness but said coming back and making a deeper run in the postseason will help serve as a motivation.
“I told them (next year) is the year,” he said. “I told my coach if they’re not ready I’m going to replace him …I’ll be the coach for a minute. … I know what March Madness is like and we can’t take anything for granted – no matter who you are going against, any team can beat you.”
Tshiebwe received feedback from the NBA scouts, who urged him to expand his game, which included extending his range on the perimeter.
“(They told me) to fake, attack the rim, fake your passes and get better with dribbling, you’ll be good at your position next year,” he said.
Tshiebwe, who admitted he has already began working on his outside shot during the off-season, didn’t attempt a 3-pointer last season but added his coach, John Calipari, won’t mind letting him launch a few from long range next season.
“He told me he would let me shoot threes as long as I keep making them,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll (be able) to keep shooting them.”
Tshiebwe credited his development to Calipari and the coaching staff and is confident he will continue to improve in the future.
“They worked with me for eight, nine months and they changed my game,” he said. “If we focus on (outside shooting and other details) my game can be at a different level. I’m going to keep doing what I do and sometimes go out there (on the perimeter), especially when coach is playing two bigs (at the same time).
“That’s why coach wants me to pick and pop and try 3-point (shots). If I keep making them, keep shooting them. … I’m going to keep surprising (people) and they’re going to think, ‘Oscar is a good basketball player.’”
Keith Taylor is the sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at Keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com and via Twitter at keithtaylor21.
