Vanderbilt embracing challenge of limiting Oscar Tshiebwe on the glass

Kentucky enters the day ranked No. 1 in the country in rebound margin (+15) and No. 3 in total rebounds per game (43.53) and No. 10 in offensive rebounds per game (14.27). Center Oscar Tshiebwe leads the country in total rebounds per game (15.2) and offensive rebounds per game (5.53), firmly ahead of the competition on the glass.

“(Tshiebwe’s) unbelievable at rebounding”

Coming off a 29-point, 17-rebound performance in Kentucky’s win over Georgia, Tshiebwe is now averaging 16.1 points to go with his 15.2 boards. He’s firmly solidified himself as one of the top big men in college basketball, making him the top priority on Vanderbilt’s scouting report going into Tuesday night’s matchup.

“He’s unbelievable at rebounding,” Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse said of Tshiebwe. “The guy gets his hands on a lot of balls. Even ones that he didn’t gather for himself, he’s able to get his hands on. … He’s been rebounding at an unbelievable rate, scoring on a block, has a face-up, doing some things. He’s having a really good year.”

The Commodores, meanwhile, come in ranked No. 164 in rebound margin (+2) and No. 175 overall in total rebounds per game (36.07.) Individually, no player on the roster averages more than 5.8 rebounds per contest, but nine average at least two boards per game.

It’s a rebound-by-committee roster, and that’s how Vandy hopes to slow down Tshiebwe in the middle — something few teams have been able to do.

“We’ve got to initiate that contact and hit first.”

“You just have to put a body on (Tshiebwe) at all times,” Vanderbilt guard Jordan Wright said of the standout center. “I think (Quentin Millora-Brown) is really good at boxing out, but we have to send another guy to make sure Q is there. (Tshiebwe) gets his hands on everything. If he doesn’t get the rebound he’ll get a tip out.

“So making sure we have a body on him at all times and knowing where he is on the floor and just coming with a mentality of being aggressive, not just letting him make the first contact. We’ve got to initiate that contact and hit first.”

The issue? Kentucky has seven other players averaging at least two rebounds per game, including 4.6 per game for Keion Brooks Jr., 4.3 per game for TyTy Washington and 3.5 per game for Jacob Toppin.

“Those other guys, (Keion) Brooks and (Lance) Ware and (Jacob) Toppin, those guys, they’re all threats on the offensive board,” Stackhouse said. “It’s gonna be important for us to put bodies on those guys. Not just try to put a hip check on them, but really go through their bodies to try to keep those guys off the boards.”

“He’s up to the challenge.”

Despite what the numbers and film say, Stackhouse believes his frontcourt headlined by Millora-Brown — a 6-10, 235-pound senior — and Myles Stute — a 6-7, 210-pound sophomore — will be up for the challenge.

“We feel like our big man is having a really good year himself. I think he’s up to the challenge,” Stackhouse said. “His challenge is to try to put a body on him and keep him off the boards and allow for our other guys to come in and hopefully secure rebounds.”

It was a good start to the week in practice and the film room for the Commodores. With the focus and energy there, Stackhouse is confident going into tonight’s matchup vs. the Wildcats.

“I mean, I think they’re focused, really paying attention to the game plan and what we’re going to try to get accomplished there,” he said. “There was good energy at practice, had a good film session (Monday) looking at a lot of their stuff, a lot of the things that they want to do, things that we feel that we need to really focus on.”

Kentucky will take on Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville at 7 p.m. ET, with the game broadcast live on ESPN.