Oscar Tshiebwe will shoot threes this year (and Coach Cal approves)

Oscar Tshiebwe didn’t come back to Kentucky to double up on his individual stats and accolades. He doesn’t need more National Player of the Year honors — nor does he have room to store them.

He returned to win a national championship, going as far as trying to change his number from 34 to 9 to prove his focus is on bringing Kentucky its ninth title.

“We all got one goal, it’s for number nine,” Tshiebwe said last week during a press conference. “I came back for one reason and I hope God will fulfill our purpose. Before I leave here — I don’t just come in, pick up my trophy, and go home… Number nine, that’s my purpose.”

To help make that happen, he’s working on expanding his game, specifically as a jump shooter. He knocked down mid-range jumpers at a high rate this past season in Lexington, and now, he’s looking to shoot (and make) 3-pointers in year two.

“Yes, absolutely yes (I plan to shoot threes). I’m working on it,” Tshiebwe said Tuesday. “I don’t need to go out there and hit a bunch of threes, I just need one or two in the game. Then I can stay down low and keep doing my thing.”

Tshiebwe isn’t going to get away from the paint, an area he dominated unlike anyone in college basketball this past season. He just wants to keep defenders honest and prove to NBA scouts there’s more to his game than clean-up buckets and the occasional 15-footer.

“I’m not going for like five (3-pointers), no, I just need one or two,” said Tshiebwe. “But if I keep making them, then I’ll keep shooting them. If I miss, I’ll go back to doing what I do.”

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What does Calipari think of the idea of Tshiebwe launching 3-pointers in 2022-23? He supports it completely. In fact, the Kentucky head coach is encouraging the 6-foot-9 center to take them. It was a conversation the two sides had this offseason when Tshiebwe considered the pro route.

If you don’t plan on developing as a player, why not go pro now? Why not come off the board in the second round and carve out a role as a high-energy player off the bench in the NBA?

Tshiebwe wanted to prove he can be more. And Calipari believes he can do it, as well.

“He’s been shooting threes, handling the ball better,” the UK head coach said Tuesday. “I told him, ‘If you come back, you have to prove you’re a better basketball player. Or why would you come back? Be a second-round pick. Be 45 (overall). So what? If you want to be a first-round pick, when they watch you, they have to say, man, you’re a basketball player. They can’t just say you’re a rebounding machine.’

“So now, you see him bouncing the ball, you see him shoot the ball, he’s improved.”

The Kentucky basketball video team released some practice footage on Monday that included a 3-point jumper from Tshiebwe, a make from the top of the key.