By ADAM ZAGORIA
Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe is remaining in the NBA Draft and believes there’s a place in the NBA for him.
“I believe there will be a team in the NBA, they’re going to love what I do and they’re going to train me for all the things I need to learn and I’ll help them,” the 6-foot-9 Tshiebwe, a native of the Congo, said earlier this month at the NBA Combine in Chicago.
Oscar staying in the Draft pic.twitter.com/t3kpV7YRPp
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) May 31, 2023
Tshiebwe was one of three Kentucky players with decisions to make ahead of Wednesday’s midnight withdrawal deadline. Chris Livingston and Antonio Reeves are the others.
The 2022 National Player of the Year, he returned to Kentucky last season and averaged 16.5 points and a nation’s best 13.7 rebounds. He’s already worked out for the Celtics, Bucks, Rockets and Kings.
“My main strength is rebounding and running the floor,” he said. “I set the ball screen and roll…I think I can really help a team to win in the NBA.
“My biggest advantage is my wingspan and my speed,” he added. “You see many people at 7-feet tall, I’m longer than their wingspan and it gives me an advantage.”
He said he’s also been working on passing, his corner 3 and his defense.
“All those things I’ve been working on and it’s getting better,” he said.
He wants to “extend my game” to play similar to Miami’s Bam Adebayo.
Tshiebwe is not projected to be drafted per ESPN.com or Tankathon and could end up being an undrafted free agent or Two-Way guy.
“He’ll for sure get a Two-Way,” one scout at the Combine said.
Tshiebwe’s decision comes as other bigs like Hunter Dickinson, who transferred to Kansas from Michigan, and Armando Bacot, who will return to North Carolina for a fifth year, are remaining in college. Purdue big man Zach Edey still had yet to announce as of 5:30 ET Wednesday.
The major obstacle for players like Sanogo and UConn’s Adama Sanogo, also not projected to get drafted, is that the NBA now values mobile big men who can stretch the floor and shoot, and neither of them is that type of player at this point, although Sanogo has shown the ability to shoot the three.
“It’s a copycat league and there isn’t anyone like them in the playoffs,” the scout said.
Kansas coach Bill Self, at the Combine watching several of his players, believes there’s a place in the NBA for guys like Tshiebwe and Sanogo.
“The NBA doesn’t really put the same value on the same thing college coaches do,” Self said. “Or vice versa. “But I still believe there’s a place in the league for [Sanogo], there’s a place in the league for Oscar. There’s a place in the league for these guys but it may not be like it used to be where guys are playing a traditional four man or a traditional five man.
“They’re not going to. Your five man, your four man, are a totally different skillset than we saw 15 years ago.”
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