Projecting Oscar Tshiebwe's place in history if he returns for a third season

Next week Oscar Tshiebwe will be in Chicago with several other NBA hopefuls to participate in the NBA Draft Combine. One of three current draft prospects from the University of Kentucky, Tshiebwe will be joined by Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston at DePaul University’s WinTrust Arena, where each of the former Wildcats hopes to catch the eye of at least one of the thirty NBA franchises in attendance at the pre-draft talent showcase.

As it stands now, Tshiebwe is not projected as a first-round selection, leaving him with a life-altering decision about his basketball future. There are the unknowns of the professional route or a third year in Lexington, and the 2022 Naismith Player of the Year has until May 31 to withdraw his name from the draft process if he intends to return to college basketball for one more run. Tshiebwe’s announcement will likely come after the NBA Combine concludes on Thursday, May 20, allowing an eleven-day window to weigh both options.

While we, the fans, await Tshiebwe’s move, let’s look at what he could do to Kentucky Basketball‘s record book if he wears the Blue and White another season.

The most significant, Dan Issel’s long-standing career rebounding record would be in serious jeopardy.

Kentucky Basketball’s Career Rebound Leaders

	Player	Seasons	Games	Rebounds	Average
1	Dan Issel	3	83	1078	13.0
2	Frank Ramsey	3	91	1038	11.4
3	Cliff Hagan	3	77	1035	13.4
4	Johnny Cox	3	84	1004	12.0
5	Cotton Nash	3	78	962	12.3
6	Oscar Tshiebwe	2	66	952	14.4
7	Kenny Walker	4	132	942	7.1
8	Chuck Hayes	4	134	910	6.8
9	Sam Bowie	3	96	843	8.8
10	Rick Robey	4	105	838	8.0
11	Bob Burrow	2	51	823	16.1
12	Winston Bennett	4	133	799	6.0
13	Jack Givens	4	123	793	6.4
14	Patrick Patterson	3	97	791	8.2
15	Jamaal Magloire	4	145	789	5.4
16	Ed Beck	3	78	783	10.0
16	Jim Andrews	3	80	783	9.8
18	Jared Prickett	5	143	777	5.4
19	Jamal Mashburn	3	98	760	7.8
20	Tayshaun Prince	4	135	757	5.6
21	Mike Phillips	4	120	755	6.3
22	Melvin Turpin	4	123	730	5.9
23	Mike Pratt	3	81	718	8.9
24	Phil Grawemeyer	3	71	703	9.9
25	Lou Tsioropoulos	3	84	699	8.3

Trailing Issel by 126 rebounds, Tshiebwe would likely become Kentucky’s all-time leader a month into his super-senior season, maybe even before Thanksgiving break if he really cleaned up the glass in the early non-conference slate. He will shatter Issel’s mark by the season’s end if he is healthy.

Additionally, Tshiebwe is already among the fifty best scorers in school history, with plenty of room to climb in a third season. Tshiebwe’s scoring will likely decline if he returns to college for the 2023-24 season, but anything close to another 500-point year (he nearly scored 600 in 2021-22) will move him within the top 15 all-time in points scored as a Wildcat. Currently, he is No. 48 with 1,117 career points at Kentucky.

Kentucky Basketball’s Career Scoring Leaders

	Player	Seasons	Games	Points	Average
1	Dan Issel	3	83	2138	25.8
2	Kenny Walker	4	132	2080	15.8
3	Jack Givens	4	123	2038	16.6
4	Keith Bogans	4	135	1923	14.2
5	Tony Delk	4	133	1890	14.2
6	Jamal Mashburn	3	98	1843	18.8
7	Kevin Grevey	3	84	1801	21.4
8	Tayshaun Prince	4	135	1775	13.1
9	Cotton Nash	3	78	1770	22.7
10	Alex Groza	4	120	1744	14.5
11	Ed Davender	4	129	1637	12.7
12	Louie Dampier	3	80	1575	19.7
13	Patrick Patterson	3	97	1564	16.1
14	Mike Casey	3	82	1535	18.7
15	Ralph Beard	4	139	1517	10.9
16	Melvin Turpin	4	123	1509	12.3
17	Cliff Hagan	3	77	1475	19.2
18	Pat Riley	3	80	1464	18.3
19	Johnny Cox	3	84	1461	17.4
20	Joe Crawford	4	127	1438	11.3
21	Kyle Macy	3	98	1411	14.4
22	Winston Bennett	4	133	1399	10.5
23	Rick Robey	4	105	1395	13.3
24	Gerald Fitch	4	127	1391	11.0
25	Mike Phillips	4	120	1367	11.4
—	—	—	—	—	—
48	Oscar Tshiebwe	2	66	1117	16.9

This conversation was all a waste of time if Tshiebwe leaves his name in the draft.

We’ll keep you updated as Tshiebwe’s decision looms.