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With the regular season coming to a close, the Kentucky Wildcats have the front-runner for the National Player of the Year awards in Oscar Tshiebwe.
What Oscar has done this season has been nothing short of great, as he has continually put up numbers fans haven’t seen in the last few decades. Many took it as a joke when Oscar mentioned at media day that he would like to average 20 rebounds per game.
Well, he’s currently averaging 15.2 boards per game, the highest of any player in all of college basketball. That includes five games of 20+ boards, and he grabbed 28 in the win over Western Kentucky.
On Tuesday, Orlando Antigua took some time to speak to the media and shared his thoughts on Oscar’s POY campaign.
“I think Oscar, in the season that he’s having, in terms of what he’s doing statistically, it’s something that hasn’t been done in 30-40 years,” Antigua said. “Averaging almost 15 points and 15 rebounds and doing it night in and night out. When you look up and it’s 20 and 14 and it’s ho-hum, it’s impressive.”
With his POY campaign well underway, news broke yesterday of Oscar being eligible to receive NIL benefits. With numerous opportunities available, Kyle Tucker of The Athletic also broke the news of a potential multi-million dollar deal if he returns for a senior season.
Antigua thinks they could help him develop even more.
“I think what we can continue to help add to his game,” Antigua said. “If we’re fortunate to get him back, there’s a lot. There’s a lot to add to him. There’s a lot to his ball-handling, there’s a lot to his passing, and obviously he can continue to extend his range to his shooting.
“But that’s something that we’ll be able to address if we’re fortunate enough to get him back in the future.”
A second season of Oscar would be a welcomed sight among the Big Blue Nation. It seems that possibility is becoming more likely.
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