Oscar Tshiebwe shares mindset shift after upset loss vs St. Peter’s

Oscar Tshiebwe has returned to Kentucky with a new mindset after last season’s soul crushing loss to Saint Peter’s during the NCAA Tournament.

While a bevy of factors brought the reigning Naismith and Wooden Player of the Year back to school, he’s carrying a chip on his shoulder ahead of the 2022-23 season. Speaking with the media, the star Kentucky center shared his renewed thought process following the Peacocks breaking the hearts of Wildcats faithful last March.

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“It was motivation that helped us a lot. That helped us a lot because we let that go, we learn from that,” stated Tshiebwe. “For me now, now every game we can play, no matter who we play, even when we play Division II, to me it’s a big game, because of what happened with Saint Peter’s to us. So now we’re just going to keep going. Keep going and do our best, no matter who we play. I’m not going to tell my teammates, sometimes last year we used to go play a team, it’s a very little team, we say, ‘This is a small team, we’re good. We don’t need to prepare good.’

“This year, we not letting that happen. This year, any team, anybody can beat you if you’re not really focused. That’s what I’m saying. This year, any big game, any game, no matter who we play against, is a big game for us.”

Alas, Kentucky always has huge expectations on the court, but it’s evident the recalculated mindset from Oscar Tshiebwe and the rest of the Wildcats could propel them to the forefront of college basketball once again this coming season.

John Calipari already making pitch to get Oscar Tshiebwe back beyond 2022-23 season

Moreover, there’s no doubt that Oscar Tshiebwe’s decision to return to Kentucky for the 2022-23 season was a big one for Wildcats coach John Calipari, who yet again has them ranked in the top five of the preseason AP poll. 

Tshiebwe claimed both the Naismith and Wooden Player of the Year awards this past season after leading the country with 15.2 rebounds per game in addition to 17.4 points. The Kentucky center is the first Wooden Award winner to return to school the following season since Tyler Hansbrough did so at North Carolina in 2008.

But before Tshiebwe has even played a game in 2022-23, Calipari is already making plans to bring him back for a third season in Lexington. Asked about his star’s return in a recent press conference, Calipari cut the question off before it could be finished with an interesting comment. 

“I’m trying to get him to come back next year, too, but go ahead,” he said.

According to John Calipari, Oscar Tshiebwe’s decision was based on two factors: NIL and his NBA Draft projection. He was predicted to fall anywhere between the late-first to mid-second rounds, and was not satisfied with that. However, he likely still would have made the jump if not for the new opportunities created by NIL.

“Well, the issue became where was he projected to be drafted, and that’s part of the reason, and NIL, which I’ve said to all you guys, the NIL will keep kids in school that would have left,” Calipari said. “That’s what’s happened in men’s basketball. With him, if that didn’t happen, he would have gone. If he would have been drafted or projected in a better position, he’d have been gone.”

NIL deals have been coming in steadily for Tshiebwe this offseason, and he most recently inked a partnership with Donato’s Pizza. He has an NIL Valuation of $916,000 according to On3, ranking him third among all college basketball players.