Oscar Tshiebwe was the preseason pick for Big 12 Player of the Year
Coaches Bob Huggins of West Virginia and John Calipari of Kentucky are friends. But Huggins is not happy with some of the circumstances that led to center Oscar Tshiebwe, the preseason Big 12 player of the year, transferring to UK. Huggins said he thought “outside influences” played a big part in Tshiebwe leaving. The player said only that it was for “personal reasons” when he decided to leave at midseason.
“I think it’s the world we live in,” Huggins said on ‘The Bob Huggins Show’ after Tshiebwe announced he was going to UK.”It’s better to steal than it is to work and earn things.
“It’s take the easy way out, and I think there were some people involved who saw where they could benefit, maybe profit, and worked very diligently at trying to get him out.”
Huggins did not elaborate on who those people might be or accuse Calipari — who has been his featured guest at his fundraising fish fry — or Kentucky of any wrongdoing or tampering.
The West Virginia coach was asked if he had talked to Calipari after Tshiebwe announced his new destination.
“He texted me,” Huggins said. “He didn’t ask me anything.”
Tshiebwe averaged 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a freshman and averaged 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in the 10 games he played this year.
Tshiebwe had 14 points, nine rebounds and one block in a loss to No. Gonzaga. He had five points and seven rebounds in a win over Western Kentucky. The center had 12 points and five rebounds in a win over Richmond, a team that beat UK but Huggins made it clear in the postgame press conference he was not happy with Tshiebwe.
“I expect to see a lot more from Oscar,” Huggins said. “Oscar’s a talented guy, he’s getting better, he’s starting to become more and more and more the old Oscar. But I expect a lot from Oscar, a lot more, actually.”
In his last three games at West Virginia, he had 12 points and five rebounds against Iowa State, only three points and five rebounds against Kansas, and 12 points and 15 rebounds in his final game against Northeastern.
