John Calipari reveals one of Oscar Tshiebwe's go-to tricks

Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe is a leading candidate for National Player of the Year honors, averaging 16.4 points per game and 15.4 rebounds per game. While he’s in the middle of a historic year this season, things did not always come so easily for the 6-foot-9, 255-pound center. Before he transferred to Kentucky this off-season, there were reports that Tshiebwe was forced to go to West Virginia by a handler and that he didn’t even want to be there. His on-the-court production for the Mountaineers was nowhere near where it has been this season for the Wildcats. His new head coach, John Calipari spoke with reporters about the happiness of his gifted center and a trick that he uses to fool people.

“The people that are close to him said at a point in time that the kid was down…But since he’s been here, this kid’s got a smile on his face. He’s… just a funny kid. When he doesn’t want to concentrate or he doesn’t have the mental discipline. He just [says] I don’t understand the language. It’s all BS. He understands everything. And if you watch him now, he doesn’t break down on plays. He knows what he’s doing unless he becomes mentally undisciplined and he starts to roll with his mind,” Calipari said.

“I told him…this is high level basketball here. This isn’t eighth grade. You can’t be listening to eighth grade coaches tell you–you gotta get points…What’s your role on this team? I’m gonna do it. And the biggest thing I’m gonna do is fight and battle. Compete. And talk. And do what I’m supposed to for this team. And then the teams are gonna do some stuff for me that gives me easy baskets,” the Kentucky head basketball coach said.

Oscar Tshiebwe has been putting up historic numbers

As noted above, Tshiebwe is putting up earth-shattering rebounding numbers and it’s hard to envision anyone catching him for National Player of the Year. Especially if he keeps playing the way he has been lately. Against Florida on Saturday night, he pumped in 27 points and corralled 19 rebounds. He became the only SEC player over the last 25 seasons with five 20/15 games in a season.

The only SEC player over the last 25 seasons with five 20/15 games in a season: Oscar Tshiebwe 😤@KentuckyMBB @Oscartshiebwe34 pic.twitter.com/nOM9SLPZ1z

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 12, 2022

Against Western Kentucky on Dec. 22, Tshiebwe corralled 28 rebounds. He followed that game up with a 20-rebound performance against Missouri on Dec. 29. His 48 rebounds in that two-game span are tied for the most by a D-I player over the last 25 seasons. It’s been an unbelievable year for Tshiebwe and Kentucky fans are hoping he continues his dominant play into March Madness next month.