Oscar Tshiebwe: 'We still have our confidence' despite SEC Tournament loss

On paper, Oscar Tshiebwe had a great game against the Tennessee Volunteers, despite the Kentucky Wildcats falling victim to a 69-62 upset in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament on Sunday. But his statistics on paper only tell half the story.

The 6-foot-9, 255-pound forward scored 13 points on 5-of-10 from the field, while adding 11 rebounds and two blocks to his total. However, Kentucky fans have come to expect even more from Tshiebwe, who’s averaging 17 points and 15.1 boards per contest this year; he even entered the tilt with Tennessee averaging 21.8 points and 15.3 in his last four games. Tshiebwe, the SEC Player of the Year, logged a season-low 24 minutes after fouling out of the game much earlier than John Calipari had hoped, and he ultimately lacked the game-changing presence that has willed Kentucky to so many close victories this season. Regardless of the outcome, though, Kentucky still fits comfortably in the NCAA Tournament picture as a likely No. 2 seed (per On3’s Eric Prisbell), and Tshiebwe maintained every ounce of confidence that the Wildcats can do some damage during March Madness.

“I think we just have to stay focused and locked in, be ready for the next tournament. I’m pretty confident with my teammates, with everything,” Tshiebwe said after the loss. “This was kind of an off day for us. We didn’t really make a shot. We still have our confidence, and we’re going to be ready next week.”

Despite playing a less-than-ideal game, Tshiebwe was far from the reason why Kentucky lost to the underdog Tennessee Volunteers. In fact, the onus largely fell on Kentucky’s guards, who were unable to shoot efficiently — the team finished just 34.4 percent from the field — and were particularly poor from deep, as they shot just 2-for-20 from three-point range. TyTy Washington seemed like the best backcourt option for Tennessee, and while he managed to pour in 17 points on 6-of-16 from the field, he went an uncharacteristic 1-for-7 from three-point range. Fellow guards Kellan Grady and Sahvir Wheeler were no better from beyond the arc, with Grady finishing 0-for-5 and Wheeler going 0-for-2.

Kentucky should have enough time to rest and regroup before the NCAA Tournament, and Tshiebwe will enter the second wave of postseason play with a renewed sense of focus. The Wildcats still have a lot to prove, and Tshiebwe seems unfazed by the impending pressure of March Madness. He can only hope his guards feel the same, despite the final non-NCAA Tournament contest of the season resulting in one of their worst shooting performances to date.