Oscar Tshiebwe the perfect player to shine in special game

Oscar Tshiebwe didn't let 7-5 Jamarion Sharp of Western Kentucky stop him from grabbing a school-record 28 rebounds Wednesday night. (Jeff Houchin/Nolan Media)

It’s amazing enough that not only did Oscar Tshiebwe break the Rupp Arena single-game rebounding mark set by Shaquille O’Neal by SEVEN rebounds. It’s amazing enough that Tshiebwe outrebounded Western Kentucky by one rebound. 

However, what was even more amazing Wednesday night was the humility Tshiebwe had after pulling off 28 rebounds in Kentucky’s 95-60 victory over Western Kentucky.

Remember this game was special enough the way it was put together after Louisville had to cancel playing UK because of COVID protocols. With the tornado devastation in west Kentucky, this game was meaningful in the Bluegrass and also raised more awareness nationally thanks to ESPN for tornado relief.

Tshiebwe was the right person to have a record-setting performance in a game this special. He was all smiles after the game when he found out not only had he set a record but beat a mark set by Shaq, a NBA superstar.

“Getting 28 rebounds in a game is the best. I give all glory to God. I don’t think I can do that on my own,” Tshiebwe, who also had 14 points and three steals, said. “For me, I just work on it and trust God and I am here to fight to do something new in this program. I just want to do my best every time.”

What about outrebounding Western 28-27?

“That is crazy. When I go out there, I just go fight. When time is up and the game is over, that is when I stop fighting,” he said. “I don’t care about points. I just want to go out there and grab every rebound. That is helping us win the game.”

His teammates staged a small locker room celebration after the game — “something like that has never happened in my life,” Tshiebwe said — to show their appreciation for what he did.

Tshiebwe is now averaging a nation-best 15.5 rebounds per game. He laughed when if it was okay to call him a “machine” now because of his rebounding prowess. He said go with beast for now.

“I am not qualified for a machine. If I go for 30 (rebounds), you can call me a machine,” the UK center said.

Kentucky’s single-game rebounding record is 34 set by Bob Burrow over 60 years ago. Tshiebwe does not think that is an impossible number for him to match or surpass.

“I think I can go for that one and I hope coach Cal don’t take me out (late in the game like he did Wednesday night). I think tonight if I finished (the game), I could have gone for 34,” Tshiebwe said.

Remember Tshiebwe did this playing against 7-5 Jamarion Sharp, the nation’s leading shot-blocker who had seven blocks against UK despite injuring his ankle early in the second half.

Tshiebwe admitted it was a “nightmare” at times going against Sharp and he was not happy when he had shots blocked.

“How do you beat this tall man? It was tough. If you don’t shoot it fast, he is blocking it,” Tshiebwe said. “He was not fighting for rebounds. He was just going for blocks. So I knew I have to get every rebound.”

Tshiebwe knows he’s not the biggest player in college basketball and it’s hard for some to understand how he rebounds so well.

“I think I have a big heart,” Tshiebwe said. “When God said something was possible, he did not say just for certain people. He said for everybody. I just fight for it. When you do, you come out with something good. If you stop fighting you do not get what you are looking for.

‘I am so blessed. God has been so good to me. I run and move better than a lot of bigs and I have a  motor. I give thanks every day to God for what he has blessed me with.”