West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe cannot play for the Wildcats but he can start practicing with Kentucky and maybe help improve the play of Olivier Sarr, Isaiah Jackson, and Lance Ware. Tshiebwe is a much more physical post player than any of the current Cats and was a double-double machine for the Mountaineers. He’s not one to drift away from the basket and is not afraid to knock around opponents.
“Here’s the thing, Oscar, the thing I loved about him was how hard he worked, how hard he played, how he would make everything an extra effort stuff, and I want him to go against our guys and try and bring some of that out of the guys that we have,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said Tuesday.
“Even though we have been playing hard, let’s take it to another level. One rebound, two rebounds, you ready for this? Two fewer turnovers per game, two more rebounds, a made shot. Where is this all? And so, I want him to add to it and help us and he’s ready to do that.”
Calipari said Tuesday that Tshiebwe still had to “go through some other stuff” and he was not with the team at Missouri Wednesday night.
“But when we come back (from Missouri), he’ll start and we’ll have some time to bump him in,” Calipari said.
Ware, a freshman, did not know Tshiebwe until meeting him Monday when he arrived on campus. He said he barely got to speak to him.
“But from what Cal says he plays really hard. Obviously, I play hard so it’s going to be great competition in practice,” Ware said. “I know he’s going to help me get better. I know those type of people, they help me get better. He’s going to help Olivier (Sarr) get better, Isaiah.
“So, he’s going to be a great addition for these few weeks or months that he’s here to help everybody get better for next year.”
