Report: Oscar Tshiebwe is expected to stay in 2023 NBA Draft

It’s a big day for Kentucky basketball, with three 2023 NBA Draft decisions set to come down at some point ahead of the end-of-the-day deadline to withdraw without losing collegiate eligibility.

It appears Kentucky will be down at least one star, with 247Sports reporting big man Oscar Tshiebwe is expected to remain in the draft.

Citing multiple industry sources, Travis Branham reports that Tshiebwe is not expected to return to Kentucky “barring unforseen changes.” The Kentucky big man has been a staple in the frontcourt for the Wildcats for two seasons now.

The Kentucky star is expected to formally announce his decision at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Tshiebwe was the unanimous National Player of the Year in 2021-22 as a junior before returning for an additional year.

While Tshiebwe’s numbers dipped a bit in his senior year, he was still among the nation’s most productive frontcourt players, averaging 16.5 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. He also chipped in 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest.

Kentucky will have quite a bit of production to replace with his expected departure.

Along with Tshiebwe, the Wildcats are also waiting to hear official word from Chris Livingston and Antonio Reeves, who both entered the 2023 NBA Draft. They have until the end of the day to withdraw if they hope to retain collegiate eligibility.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.