Oscar Tshiebwe

Oscar Tshiebwe grew up initially playing soccer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but switched to basketball, given his height. Before moving to the United States in 2015 for his freshman year of high school, Tshiebwe attended a basketball camp by Congolese NBA player Bismack Biyombo. As a senior in high school in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, he was named the state's Player of the Year and was a five-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports. For his freshman year of college, he committed to West Virginia. That season (2019-20), he was named to the Second Team All-Big 12. He played 10 games as a sophomore before leaving the school for personal reasons. As a junior in 2021-22, Tshiebwe transferred to Kentucky. Behind his 17.4 points on 60.6 FG%, 15.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 assists, the center was named National Player of the Year. He followed with a strong senior campaign that landed him on the All-American Second Team. Tshiebwe was one of the best rebounding bigs ever in college basketball despite being 6-foot-9. He's best as a weighty 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 percent as a senior). Given Tshiebwe's rebounding dominance in a bulky frame, he draws natural comparisons to Andre Drummond and Steven Adams, though he's about two inches shorter than both players. Despite the center's accolades, he may have to fight for a roster spot as a rookie, but some teams need a rebounder off the bench that could use his skillset. It may be tough for him to eventually become a starter, but there's a pathway for Tshiebwe to become a reliable backup big.