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Kentucky Basketball: 3 takeaways from Wildcats dominating win over Robert Morris

By Benjamin Zacher

Nov 12, 2021; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Daimion Collins (4) dunks the ball during the second half against the Robert Morris Colonials at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2021; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Daimion Collins (4) dunks the ball during the second half against the Robert Morris Colonials at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kentucky Basketball forward Oscar Tshiebwe Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Kentucky Basketball forward Oscar Tshiebwe Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /

2. After struggling at WVU, Oscar Tshiebwe finally appears primed to be one of basketball’s best posts

On top of Kellan Grady finding his footing in Kentucky is the shocking flourishment of Oscar Tshiebwe, who desperately needed to re-establish himself after a sluggish sophomore campaign at West Virginia sent him spiraling out of the sport and away from his former home – and into the grasps of Kentucky, with the aspirations to redeem his collegiate career.

Fast forward to Nov. 9th’s tilt with Duke, Tshiebwe’s first collegiate game since Dec. 29th, 2020, at West Virginia – and the 6-9 big man, who was relegated to sharing post responsibilities with Derek Culver with the Mountaineers, dominated the interior against the Blue Devils.  Posting a team-high 17 points (his highest since Jan. 4th, 2020) and hauling down 19 boards (a then-career-high), Tshiebwe established himself from the get-go.

Tshiebwe’s fluctuating stats during his sophomore year at West Virginia may have teased the potential that he may not be able to immediately replicate those numbers, but he faced no challenges in decimating Robert Morris inside.  When I wrote about the Colonials’ chances against Kentucky in a game preview, I specifically mentioned that their lack of post presence would pose the greatest challenge – and Tshiebwe, decidedly, took advantage of that.

In 29 minutes of action, Tshiebwe would finish with 14 points (5-11 2PT, 4-6 FT) and a career-high 20 rebounds, in addition to a pair of assists and three blocks.  According to KenPom, no player was more involved in percentage of possessions than Tshiebwe – and that bodes extremely well for a player that was scrambling to find a new home a year ago.

But also, most importantly, is how valuable this is for a Kentucky team that struggled to maintain reliable post-play inside last season.  While Olivier Sarr showed flashes throughout his time at Kentucky, Tshiebwe is already proving to be more successful – the question that remains, however, is whether he can continue that flourishment.

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