Oscar Tshiebwe makes 5-on-5 debut at NBA Draft Combine

Three Kentucky Wildcats are in attendance at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, but only one is participating in this week’s five-on-five scrimmages. Cason Wallace — a projected lottery pick — and Chris Livingston both opted out, only undergoing testing and interviews.

Oscar Tshiebwe, though, is a full participant, hoping to prove himself among the best of the best. He tested and went through interviews to open the week, then suited up for Team Bailey on day one of live scrimmage action.

How did the standout center look? Let’s start with his event measurements, followed by a scrimmage rundown:

PLAYER	HAND LENGTH	HAND WIDTH	HEIGHT W/O SHOES	STANDING REACH	WEIGHT	WINGSPAN	LANE AGILITY TIME (SECONDS)	3/4 SPRINT (SECONDS)	STANDING VERTICAL LEAP	MAX VERTICAL LEAP
Oscar Tshiebwe	9.75″	10.25″	6’7.25”	9’0.00”	253.6	7’3.50”	12.26	3.32	29.5″	32.5″

Tshiebwe wasn’t expected to turn heads with testing, and that wound up being true. His lane agility time was second-slowest among participants, then middle of the pack in other agility drills. He had the fifth-best standing vertical reach among centers and sixth-best max vertical reach. An area of separation? The 3-point line, knocking down 12 of 25 threes (48 percent) in a shooting drill.

Overall, though, nothing to shoot him up the draft boards, but also nothing to tank his stock.

Then came the first scrimmage, consisting of four 10-minute quarters with 12-man rosters, Tshiebwe teaming up with the likes of Isaiah Wong (Miami), Dillon Mitchell (Texas), Kendric Davis (Memphis), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois). And in a blowout victory, the Kentucky center was one of the clear standouts on the floor, finishing with a 10-point, 16-rebound double-double as a starter.

Unsurprisingly, his 16 rebounds were the most of any player in the last five NBA Draft Combine scrimmages — another record for the former national player of the year, what’s new?

Guarding former Gonzaga star Drew Timme, Tshiebwe got out to a slow start. He got blocked at the rim on a putback attempt from the former Bulldog, then was called for a charge on a transition bucket attempt — he made it, but Timme was in position to draw the offensive foul. His friendly rival then put him in a spin cycle for a smooth finish at the rim, immediately looking to take advantage of the matchup — admittedly a rough first quarter and start of the second for Tshiebwe.

Then came domination mode for the Kentucky star. He got a big block on a layup attempt, then finished an offensive rebound and putback on the other, followed by a defensive board back down the floor. It was easily his best sequence of the game to get things rolling — and really the start of his domination on the glass overall. He was nothing short of a machine in that area specifically, a clear niche that can and will translate to the next level.

But NBA teams knew he could do that. It’s why he’s seen as a fringe draft pick at all — teams picking in the second round like taking shots on guys with at least one elite trait, and Tshiebwe’s got one.

How was he as a shooter? He got his first mid-range attempt swatted from behind, but knocked down a crisp catch-and-shoot look from 13 feet to open the second half. Then after a few more offensive rebounds and hustle plays, he knocked down another deep look from the top of the key, drawing rave reviews from ESPN commentators about his improved touch and offensive growth overall.

What about passing? He was noticeably quick to get the ball out on post-ups, looking to find open teammates on the perimeter. That’s where he got into trouble at times at Kentucky, turning it over when holding on too long with pressure coming. He turned the ball over just once compared to two assists, highlighted by a big one in the pick-and-roll, catching a dump-off and firing it to the left corner for the catch-and-shoot make.

His biggest highlight? Well, it ended up falling just short of a highlight at all, saving rebounds out of bounds to reset the possession. Returning inbounds, he caught the kick-back and lifted for an explosive poster slam, only to miss the vicious finish. Still, though, it was a sequence that encapsulates what he brings to the table and what he hopes an NBA team sees in him during the draft process.

It wasn’t a perfect performance, obviously, especially on the defensive side of the floor. His length was problematic at times, as was pick-and-roll defense — though he did have a few impressive looks in drop coverage and recovered nicely on various miscues. All in all, it’s impossible to say Tshiebwe’s outing didn’t help his draft stock, certainly for a team in the second round looking for winning pieces.

Pistons assistant Brandon Bailey’s words tell the story, the Kentucky center’s coach in Chicago: “He brings a lot of energy, versatility. His energy and effort level, his presence in huddles, he’s been great.”

Matched up against Drew Timme, then later Adama Sonogo of the national champion UConn Huskies, Tshiebwe clearly looked the part — a man on a mission in the second and third quarters, especially.

The Kentucky star finished with 10 points on 4-8 shooting and 2-4 at the line to go with 16 rebounds (seven offensive), two assists, two blocks and one turnover in 17:43. He was second on the team in plus/minus with a +26 in the 107-88 win.

Tshiebwe will return to game action Thursday afternoon to wrap up his time at the NBA Draft Combine.