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Oscar Tshiebwe has claimed two more National Player of the Year awards.
First, the Kentucky Wildcats star was named the AP National Player of the Year, it was announced Friday.
In addition, Tshiebwe was named the 2022 Oscar Robertson as the National Player of the Year as selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. The award was presented to Tshiebwe on Friday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Tshiebwe, a consensus All-American and the SEC Player of the Year, ended the season as just the second Wildcat since 1978-79 to finish the season leading the team in points per game (17.4), rebounds per game (15.1), steals per game (1.8), blocks per game (1.6) and field-goal percentage with a minimum of 100 attempts (60.6%). NCAA and NBA champion Anthony Davis was the other.
The nation's leading rebounder (15.1), Oscar Tshiebwe (@Oscartshiebwe34) of @KentuckyMBB, is the @USBWA National Player of the Year. The new "Big O!" https://t.co/1ELYXMZiey pic.twitter.com/kz0QT2dgei
— Oscar Robertson Trophy (@TheBigOTrophy) April 1, 2022
Additionally, Tshiebwe was the only major conference player who averaged at least 1.6 blocked shots and 1.6 steals per game during the regular season. He also became just the third player in program history to grab at least 500 rebounds in a season, as he finished the year with 515 boards.
Tshiebwe ended the season with 16-straight double-doubles, the longest streak since complete game-by-game rebounding records were kept dating back to 1969 for the Wildcats. He recorded 28 double-doubles, which is a new Kentucky single-season record.
BREAKING: Oscar Tshiebwe of @KentuckyMBB is the Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the year.
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) April 1, 2022
Full story: https://t.co/hD1lRQ4l9H
Tshiebwe shares key advice he received from his father: pic.twitter.com/UiMep7NNKb
Among the other honors Tshiebwe has earned include:
- NABC National Player of the Year
- NABC Pete Newell Big Man of the Year
- NCAA Consensus All-America First Team
- SEC Player of the Year (coaches/media)
- USA Today National Player of the Year
- The Athletic’s National Player of the Year
- The Field of 68 National Player of the Year
- College Hoops Today National Player of the Year
These won’t be the last awards Tshiebwe takes come, as he’s looking to become the first consensus National Player of the Year in program history. Anthony Davis nearly hit that feat in 2011-12, but he lost the NABC National Player of the Year award to Michigan State forward Draymond Green.
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