Oscar Tshiebwe one of 10 finalists for Defensive Player of the Year

The best rebounder in all of college basketball is far more than just a ball-hawking savant.

On Tuesday afternoon, Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe was selected as one of 10 finalists for the 2022 Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year award, which is handed out annually to the nation’s top overall defender. Tshiebwe is second in the entire country in terms of defensive rebounding at 9.97 boards per game, but he’s also the only major conference player averaging at least 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

If he were to take home the honors, Tshiebwe would be the first Wildcat to do so since the award was introduced in 2018.

.@Oscartshiebwe34 named a Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist 💪

🔵 Leads the country in rebounding
🔵 The only major conference player averaging at least 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

📝 https://t.co/AI3P2b46x8 pic.twitter.com/QW5Kae2rBw

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 2, 2022

On the season, Tshiebwe is averaging numbers that haven’t been seen in over four decades. The 6-foot-9 big man is up to 16.9 points, 15.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per outing while shooting a hair over 60 percent from the field. Tshiebwe leads Kentucky in all five of those categories. He’s on pace to set the program’s all-time single-season rebounding record if UK can advance far enough in the NCAA Tournament.

Additionally, no Divison I player has averaged at least 15.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per contest since Drake’s Lewis Lloyd and Alcorn State’s Larry Smith both did so during the 1979-80 season. No Kentucky player has averaged at least 14.0 rebounds per game since Ed Beck back in the 1956-57 season.

During Tuesday night’s win over Ole Miss, Tshiebwe dropped a casual 18 points and 15 rebounds on 9-12 shooting. Not bad for getting “bullied”, eh?

2022 Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year finalists

Tari Eason – LSU
Jacob Gilyard – Richmond
Chet Holmgren – Gonzaga
Walker Kessler – Auburn
Christian Koloko – Arizona
Caleb McConnell – Rutgers
Kevin McCullar – Texas Tech
Jamarion Sharp – Western Kentucky
Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky
Mark Williams – Duke