Where Oscar Tshiebwe's Performance Ranks Among Most Dominant of the Calipari Era

Considered by some as a machine, Oscar Tshiebwe had plenty of impressive performances during his 2021-22 National Player of the Year campaign. Even his Rupp Arena record-breaking 28-rebound performance pails in comparison to what he did Tuesday night against Georgia. Oscar Tshiebwe set a new career-high with 37 points and a season-high 24 rebounds in the victory.

The stat line is the first in college basketball since 2011. It’s the most rebounds by a 35-point scorer in the sport over the last 25 years. Mike Phillips was the last Wildcat with a 30/20 game (1976), and Bill Spivey is the only other player to post 37/24 (1951).

It’s clear from a statistical perspective, this is an outlier in the John Calipari era, however, he does not stand alone. On Oscar TshiebDAY, let’s look back at some of the best individual performances since John Calipari became the Wildcats’ head coach in 2009. Ranking them is a fool’s errand, but I will share which one I believe is the best while going through the outstanding performances in chronological order.

Tyler Herro is a Bucket

Tyler Herro brought some swagger during his top performance at Kentucky. He knocked down 5-of-6 three-pointers to score 29 points and hold off Arkansas in a 70-66 victory for the fourth-ranked Wildcats. He poured salt on the wound at the charity stripe. In-between free throws he stepped away from the free throw line and told the Razorbacks, “I’m a bucket.” To quote Rob Bromley, he had some swagger.

"I'm a bucket."

– @Raf_Tyler, bucket getter pic.twitter.com/vDM4kNkSsg

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 27, 2019

Kevin Knox Shocks West Virginia

Kentucky was a 10.5-point dog on the road in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, the largest spread of the Calipari era until last Saturday’s win in Knoxville. Searching for a signature win, the Wildcats delivered in shocking fashion. Kentucky trailed by as much as 17 points in the second half before rallying to defeat West Virginia 83-76 in Morgantown.

The third-largest comeback in school history could not have happened without Kevin Knox. The 6-foot-8 freshman from Tampa knocked down 11-of-17 shots to score 34 points and grab seven rebounds in the win. He saved his best for last, breaking a tie in the final minute by knocking down his fifth three-pointer of the night.

Malik Monk Drops 47 on North Carolina

If you made me rank each game, this is the best individual performance ever by a John Calipari player, and I don’t think anyone can ever top it. Playing against the eventual National Champs (thanks to Luke Freaking Maye) in the CBS Sports Classic, Malik Monk became a man possessed at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. North Carolina could’ve used all five players to drop-kick Monk and he still would’ve scored from downtown.

The shooting guard from Arkansas shot 18-for-28 to score 47 points, tied with Dan Issel as the sixth-best single-game scoring performance in UK basketball history. Trailing North Carolina by two with less than 20 seconds to play, Monk hit his eighth three-pointer of the night to give the Wildcats a win. Bill Raftery shouted “Cold-blooded!” as the arena erupted, closing out one of the most exciting regular season wins of the Calipari era.

Monk was not a one-hit wonder. He also scored 37 points with De’Aaron Fox sidelined against Georgia, 33 against Florida and he hit the game-tying three in the Elite Eight rematch against North Carolina. Once again, Luke Maye, you’re the worst.

DeAaron Fox Rocks Lonzo Ball

The Wildcats lost to UCLA at Rupp Arena as the top-ranked team in the country. Seeking out revenge in the postseason, De’Aaron Fox took all of his frustrations out on Lonzo Ball. At the height of the fervor created by LaVar Ball, Fox put Lonzo in a coffin, scoring 39 points while only attempting one three-pointer. He carved up the Bruins in an 86-57 Sweet 16 victory. Fox’s 39 points are the fourth-most ever by a Wildcat in an NCAA Tournament game, trailing only Tayshaun Prince (41 in the second round vs. Tulsa), Goose Givens (41 in the Finals vs. Duke) and Dan Issel (44 in the Sweet 16 vs. Notre Dame).

Tyler Ulis Takes Over SEC Tournament Final

Tyler Ulis reaffirmed his status as the nation’s best point guard by saving his best for last. Facing a physical, talented Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament Championship, Ulis netted 30 points, had three steals, five assists and three rebounds to propel the Cats to an 82-77 win. Unfortunately, the Selection Committee did not take the victory into account and still gave the Aggies the higher-seed a few hours later. That snub is why we often overlook Ulis at his absolute best as a Wildcat.

Nerlens Noel Block Party at Ole Miss

Nerlens Noel messed around and almost got a triple-double in an often-forgotten performance for the ages. The flat-topped center put the fear of God in Ole Miss. He swatted 12 shots, setting a new single-game record as the first Wildcat to ever record double-digit blocks in a game. Six of those blocked shots came in the final five minutes to help Kentucky secure an 87-74 victory over Marshall Henderson and the No. 16 Rebels.

Noel finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 12 blocks, but the remarkable performance was fleeting. He only played in three more games as a Wildcat before suffering a season-ending knee injury while trying to block a shot in transition at Florida.

A brief aside, Anthony Davis had eight blocks twice in 2012, Nerlens had this 12-block game in ’13, and the following fall Willie Cauley-Stein blocked nine shots in two games. That’s one hell of a run for shot-blockers over three seasons.

Anthony Davis in the Final Four vs. Louisville

Of all the outstanding games from Anthony Davis‘ historic season, none mattered more than the Final Four win over Louisville. For UK fans living in Louisville, there’s never been a more stressful game ever. The Wildcats were the prohibitive favorite to win the National Championship with the best player in college basketball. The one team standing in their way was a plucky underdog coached by Rick Pitino. Anthony Davis would not let the BBN’s dreams turn into nightmares.

“I love this shit!” screamed the Unibrow after throwing down an emphatic lob in transition that served as the dagger. He caught lobs all night, blocked shots, grabbed boards — you name it, he did it in the 69-61 Kentucky win. Davis finished the night with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots, his pieces de resistance.

Brandon Knight 30 Piece on West Virginia

Kentucky fans were still licking their wounds from the previous year’s loss to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. John Calipari’s second season did not feature nearly as many highs as the first. “Can Calipari win with the one-and-dones?” was still debated regularly locally and nationally. His best freshman only made one shot in the opening round, a game-winner over Princeton, so he made up for lost time in the second round.

Brandon Knight scored 30 points as the Cats sprinted past the Mountaineers 71-63 into the Sweet 16. Knight followed that up with a game-winner against No. 1 overall seed Ohio State en route to a Final Four, the first of four in five years.

If you weren’t around for YouTube in 2011, it was an incredible place. Enjoy.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OSCAR TSHIEBWE?

Pardon me while I steal a line by Freddie Maggard. The most memorable game of DeMarcus Cousins‘ Kentucky tenure was a 19-12 performance in the “Call Me” game at Mississippi State. Like Cousins, Julius Randle ate double-doubles regularly, but it’s incomparable to what Oscar Tshiebwe is doing at the University of Kentucky.

However, Oscar’s most productive games were against a bubble Georgia team, Western Kentucky and a loss to Saint Peter’s. To truly transcend Kentucky basketball history, we need to see him at his best in wins that matter most in March.