Oscar Tshiebwe came to Kentucky to make history: "I want my name to be remembered"

Oscar Tshiebwe took a brief detour before arriving in Lexington to play for John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats. Instead, the 6-foot-9, 255-pound McDonald’s All-American signed with West Virginia out of high school, a decision he’d come to regret rather quickly.

He was physically in Morgantown, but his heart was always in Lexington.

“When it came time to sign, I don’t know where my mind was,” Tshiebwe said back in June. “… I was always like, even when I played for West Virginia, ‘I wish I could play for Kentucky, that was my dream school.’ (My mom) didn’t like that, she was like, ‘Why didn’t you make your move the first time?'”

His numbers and accolades were there, earning All-Big 12 honors after leading the Mountaineers in scoring and rebounding as a freshman. But he wasn’t happy.

“God said, ‘You’re crying too much, it’s time to go,'” Tshiebwe added at the time. “So I said, ‘Mom, I’m getting my stuff and I’m going.’ She was like, ‘If that’s where you feel you can be happy, then you need to go.’ She was happy with that, everyone (at home) thought I made a good move.”

Tshiebwe entered the transfer portal and committed to Kentucky in January. Ten months later, the dreams he had growing up about making a name for himself at UK are being fulfilled. And he’s done so in short order.

Through two games, Tshiebwe is averaging an absurd 15.5 points (52.0% FG, 71.4% FT), 20.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 assists in 29.0 minutes per contest. In the process, he’s shattered record after record, highlighted by the following:

• Most rebounds in a Champions Classic game (20 vs. Duke, Feb. 9)
• Most rebounds by a UK player in a debut (20 vs. Duke, Feb. 9)
• Most rebounds by a UK player in the John Calipari era (20 vs. Duke and Robert Morris)
• Most rebounds by a UK player since Feb. 9, 1994 (Jared Prickett, 20)
• Most rebounds over a Wildcat’s first two games in school history (40), passing Dan Issel
• Tied for the most rebounds by a UK player in Rupp Arena history (20 vs. Robert Morris, Feb. 12)
• Tied with Paul Millsap for the mot offensive rebounds (22) in any two-game span over the last 25 seasons

Two games in, and he’s already rewriting the Kentucky basketball history book — a pretty loaded book, mind you. He’s doing things John Calipari simply describes as “silly.”

“He knew he needed one more rebound for 20,” Calipari said following Kentucky’s 100-60 victory. “I think what we’re gonna put up — you know, this place has always been about those three (signs) and the next three (and so on). We’re gonna put somewhere else, we’re gonna have Rs (for rebounds). R, R, R, R, R, R, R for him, so he can look up and count. ‘I’m going to get five more.’ He’ll go get them.

“But it got kind of silly when you watched it. Like, he’s just going and grabbing, jerking them in.”

If you ask Tshiebwe, it’s exactly what he signed up for. It’s why he transferred to Kentucky from West Virginia in the first place.

“That’s what I’m here for. I want to do big things,” said Tshiebwe. “… I didn’t come here to have fun, I came here to be a warrior to help this team, to take them as far as I can.”

In his mind, it’s not about preparation or skill when it comes to rebounding. It’s about simply wanting it more than the competition. It’s a mindset he learned from NBA legend Dennis Rodman, widely regarded as one of the best rebounders in league history.

“There used to be this man in the NBA, his name was Dennis Rodman. You guys might know him,” said Tshiebwe. “I watched that dude, he did not care about scoring. The NBA didn’t pay him to have crazy 20-, 40-point nights. They paid him to go rebound and do a lot of things.”

Rodman’s efforts on the glass directly contributed to winning on some of the best teams in NBA history. He wants to bring that same energy and winning mindset to Kentucky basketball.

“Rebounding is going to help your team,” said Tshiebwe. “I have that mentality — I’m getting better on offense under Coach Calipari, he wants me to get better. But rebounding is the one thing I know nobody can stop me from getting. I can get that anytime I want.

“I don’t care how tall you are, if you think you can box me out, it’s going to be a fight. It’s going to be a real fight.”

Calipari has made it clear over the years that Kentucky is every team’s Super Bowl. Every venue is sold out when the Wildcats come to town, with opposing coaches and players circling the matchup on their calendars as soon as the schedule is announced.

In turn, Tshiebwe treats every game like his national championship or Super Bowl, too.

“I’m trying to be a leader,” he said. “I’ve been in college three years, this is my third year in college. It is not easy. If you think it’s easy to go out there and beat anybody — I told them before we played Robert Morris, this is a championship for them. It’s the Super Bowl for them. … If we don’t go out there and fight, they’re going to beat us. They’re going to beat us.

“In my mind, I say it’s like a national championship for me. It doesn’t matter who I’m going against. That’s why I focus on getting 20 rebounds. If I don’t get it, that’s OK as long as I’m helping and doing a lot of different things. That’s why we’re here.”

Speaking of his 20-rebound nightly goal, Tshiebwe’s 40 boards in two games is the most by a Wildcat in his first two games, passing the great Dan Issel. “The Horse,” Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer (2,138 points in 83 games) and rebounder (1078 in 83 games), put up 39 rebounds in his first two games as a Wildcat. He played at UK from 1967-70.

Does he know of Issel? Not exactly. Well, not before breaking one of the many records he set during his historic career.

What he does know, however, is that he plans on breaking more of the Kentucky legend’s records before his time in Lexington comes to a close.

“No,” Tshiebwe laughed. “I don’t know who that is. … Well, I’m about to be the most. I’m going to catch him up. I’ll catch him up soon.”

Oscar Tshiebwe learns he breaks Dan Issel’s record for most rebounds in his first two games as a Kentucky Wildcat.

He also learns who Dan Issel is. pic.twitter.com/AjyknmRX1s

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) November 13, 2021

After taking a 1.5-year detour in Morgantown, he’s in Lexington, the place he’s wanted to be from the start. And now that he’s here, Tshiebwe is making the most of it.

All he ever wanted was to make a name for himself. Shattering numerous school records just two games into his Kentucky career, it’s safe to say he’s doing just that.

“I told people from the beginning, I want my name to be remembered one day,” said Tshiebwe. “Like, “That’s Oscar. He did that.” That’s why I’m here.”