NCAA Basketball: 8 teams that should target West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe
West Virginia big man Oscar Tshiebwe has entered the NCAA Basketball transfer portal. Which teams should make a run at the center?
Nearly two years ago, West Virginia got great news with the announcement that five-star center prospect Oscar Tshiebwe would be joining them. A former McDonald’s All-American out of high school, the 6’9 and 260-pound big man looked to make a big impact out the gate for the Mountaineers.
And that he did. Tshiebwe had his first huge college game against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Backyard Brawl rivalry. He went for 20 points and 17 rebounds and looked unstoppable inside. The center went on to be a strong interior defender and rebound and actually lead West Virginia in scoring last season (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (9.3 rpg).
Tshiebwe opted to return for his sophomore season and gave West Virginia legit Final Four aspirations, as he and Derek Culver made up one of the best frontcourt pairings in the country. However, things just didn’t go as well for the center on the court this season. His numbers dipped everywhere, producing just 8.5 ppg and 7.8 rpg in 19 mpg, while also seeing backup big man Gabe Osabuohien play more than him at times.
West Virginia forward Oscar Tshiebwe has officially entered the transfer portal, sources told ESPN. The school announced last week Tshiebwe was stepping away from the program due to personal reasons.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) January 5, 2021
Things came to a head this past week, with Tshiebwe leaving the team due to personal reasons, before officially entering the transfer portal yesterday. Expect a ton of interest in the former five-star center prospect, whose defense is still top-tier.
So which NCAA Basketball programs should make the biggest run at Tshiebwe? Assuming the transfer rules are amended in the coming weeks, he’ll be eligible to play for the 2021-22 campaign. Here are eight teams to keep an eye on to potentially land him.