NBA Draft 2020: 5 underrated lottery candidates from 2019 recruiting class

Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia

Center | 6’9 | 250 lbs | No. 30 overall recruit

The only McDonald’s All-American on the list, Oscar Tshiebwe’s status as a four-star recruit and the fact that he’s playing at a low profile program may leave fans unfamiliar with just how dominant of a prospect he is. From a physical standpoint, Tshiebwe is already akin to an NBA veteran. He stands at 6’9, which makes him a bit undersized for a center, but he makes up for it with a massive 250-pound frame, a huge 7’5 wingspan, and explosive athletic ability. He knows how to use his outlier physical traits to his advantage, and he proved it by being one of the most dominant high school basketball players in the country. While playing for Kennedy Catholic High School, Tshiebwe was named the 2018-19 Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania after averaging 23.4 points, 18 rebounds, and 5 blocks per game and leading his team to a 23-3 record.

These statistics and Tshiebwe’s size may lead many to believe that he’s a bruiser who operates solely around the rim, but that’s far from the case. He has an unbelievable amount of fluidity and athleticism for someone with his frame. He runs the floor like a guard and has a tremendous motor that he uses to outwork everybody else on the court. He is also deceptively skilled for someone his size, as he’s capable of handling the ball to some extent and has a developing jumper.

The bulk of Tshiebwe’s intrigue, though, comes on the defensive end. His 18 rebounds and five blocks per game are extraordinary, but they don’t even tell the whole story. He boasts tremendous instincts, and he excels as both a rim protector and help defender. He also spends a lot of time clogging passing lanes, doing everything he can to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Tshiebwe may have been the best defender at the high school level this year, and that’s something that will translate.

Tshiebwe committed to West Virginia over the likes of Kentucky, Baylor, and Illinois, and he’ll fit their defense like a glove. Head coach Bob Huggins runs the most famed full-court press in college basketball, and as a result, has earned his program the nickname “Press Virginia.” This style of defense is most effective with an eraser in the back who can clean up anything that managed to get through the press. Sagaba Konate, an athletically gifted center who has a comparable frame to Tshiebwe, thrived in this role, averaging 3.2 blocks per game in the 2017-18 season and posting an absurd block rate of 15.3% over two and a half years.

With Konate leaving for the NBA, West Virginia fans should be excited to hear that Tshiebwe is a lot like him, but more talented. He will be a monster at the back of the Mountaineers’ press, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him average three and a half blocks per game. He’s also mobile enough to be effective in the press even when he’s not operating as a rim protector.

He should also provide a lot of value offensively to a team that’s losing five of its top six scorers from a season ago. Tshiebwe will play a significant number of minutes next season and will be relied on heavily on both ends of the court. He’s skilled enough to make the most of the opportunity, and for that reason, I think it’s very likely that he ends up as a one-and-done player and potentially a lottery pick.