Tag: Oscar Tshiebwe

Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton praises Oscar Tshiebwe after record-setting game

Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe set another record in the G League and earned high praise from Tyrese Haliburton after the performance.

Indiana Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe set another record in the G League and then earned high praise from All-Star teammate Tyrese Haliburton after the performance.

Tshiebwe recorded 20 points, 28 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot on Wednesday to lead the Indiana Mad Ants to a 117-107 win over the Motor City Cruise. He went 8-of-13 from the field in 34 minutes of work in his fourth game.

The undrafted center out of Kentucky set the franchise single-game record for total rebounds and tied the record for defensive rebounds (20). It was also his third game with 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Haliburton shared his reaction to the performance.

Tshiebwe, who is signed to a two-way contract, produced 33 points and 23 rebounds in his debut with the Mad Ants on Nov. 11. He became the first player to record a 30-20 game in the G League since Justin Tillman in February 2022.

The 23-year-old is averaging 22.3 points, 20.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and one steal on 64.3% shooting from the field. He leads the G League in total rebounding, offensive rebounds per game (7.8) and double-doubles (4) in the early going.

Tshiebwe established himself as a dominant player in the paint in college, and he has shown that ability and more so far with the Mad Ants in the G League.

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Pacers’ Oscar Tshiebwe is off to a record-setting start in the G League

Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe has played three games in the G League, and has already made history twice with the Mad Ants.

Indiana Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe has played three games in the G League, and the undrafted rookie out of Kentucky has already made history twice with the Mad Ants.

Tshiebwe came out of the gate on fire, producing 33 points and 23 rebounds in a win over the Sioux Falls Skyforce in his debut with the Mad Ants on Saturday. He registered the first 30-20 game in franchise history.

Two games later, on Tuesday, Tshiebwe recorded 21 points, 20 rebounds and three assists in a win over the Grand Rapids Gold. He became the first player in franchise history to record two 20-20 games, and he did so in his first three games.

Tshiebwe, who is signed to a two-way contract, is the first player to record a 30-20 game in the G League since Justin Tillman in February 2022. He has helped the Mad Ants lead the league in rebounding per game (59.7) through their first three games.

The 23-year-old is averaging 23 points, 18.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on 65.1% shooting from the field. He leads the G League in total rebounding, offensive rebounds per game (8.0) and double-doubles (3) in the early going.

Tshiebwe established himself as a dominant player in the paint in college, and he has shown that ability and more so far with the Mad Ants in the G League.

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5 undrafted rookies on two-way deals who looked like steals during NBA Summer League

How did Adama Sanogo and Oscar Tshiebwe go undrafted?

Even though it might be too early to make any sweeping judgments about strong performances at NBA Summer League, some players have stood out.

As the NBA 2K24 Summer League tournament nears an end, we took a look at a few of the standout undrafted free agents who have already exceeded expectations set by their two-way contracts signed after the 2023 NBA Draft.

While you may be familiar with some names (e.g. Adama Sanogo and Oscar Oscar Tshiebwe) already, others may feel less familiar.

This story used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.

Stay tuned for our third edition of this series, which will look at players who may have earned a two-way contract (e.g. Jelly Walker, KJ Williams, Nathan Mensah and more) based on their performances in Las Vegas as well.

RELATED: 5 second-round picks in 2023 who already look like draft steals during NBA Summer League

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Tracking where the top undrafted free agents who did not hear their names called in the 2023 NBA Draft have signed

The names who didn’t get called during the draft are finding their new teams.

The 2023 NBA draft has come and gone, but the draft cycle continues a bit longer as several undrafted free agents find their new homes.

While the following prospects didn’t get to hear their name called by the commissioner or deputy commissioner on Thursday night, they can find solace in the fact that their path to the pros is far from over. It’s not unheard of for an undrafted free agent to carve out a role for themselves in the NBA.

We have seen former undrafted free agent Fred VanVleet make the All-Star name. We also saw several players, such as Lakers rookie Austin Reaves, have valuable roles for their team despite not hearing their names called in the draft.

This season, notable prospects such as Oscar Tshiebwe and Drew Timme will join the fraternity of undrafted basketball players who hope to still make a name for themselves in the NBA.

Several notable international prospects (e.g. Nadir Hifi, Enzo Shahrvin, Tom Digbeu, Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Marek Blazevic, Mario Nakić, Keye Van Der Vuurst and others) were not called and will likely remain overseas.

Meanwhile, some NCAA prospects (Virginia Tech’s Grant Basile, Arizona’s Courtney Ramey, Seton Hall’s KC Ndefo and Purdue NW’s Alou Dillon) will sign deals with teams abroad rather than play in the NBA’s Summer League.

Otherwise, here is where the best remaining prospects have landed so far, according to reports:

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

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2023 Lakers draft prospect profile: Oscar Tshiebwe

A look at Oscar Tshiebwe, a center from the University of Kentucky.

One question surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of winning the NBA championship next season is their frontcourt rotation.

This season, Anthony Davis played almost exclusively at the 5, and when he was healthy, he played extremely well most of the time. But when L.A. was  swept in the Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets, it became clear it may be better off having someone other than him guard Nikola Jokic.

Since the road to the NBA Finals in the West will likely run through the Nuggets for the foreseeable future, the Lakers could use a true center or two. That would allow Davis to return to the power forward position, where he played a good chunk of his minutes when they won it all in 2020.

Could the Lakers turn to the 2023 NBA draft to snag a big man with potential? They recently worked out an interesting one named Oscar Tshiebwe from the University of Kentucky.

2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: 58 projections after the early entry withdrawal deadline

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline.

The NBA pre-draft process crossed another important checkpoint on the schedule with the early entry withdrawal deadline coming and going this week.

Prospects had the opportunity to test the waters and meet with teams to gain feedback on their potential draft stock. To maintain their remaining college eligibility, they had to withdraw from consideration by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

The deadline saw several potential second-round picks withdraw from the draft and return to school. With name, image and likeness playing a prevalent role in college basketball, players were likely swayed to stay one more year to work on their games and capitalize financially.

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The 2024 draft is also projected to be weaker than in past years, which also may have played a role in some players opting against turning pro. They likely believe they will have a greater chance of being a first-round pick next year.

With several players off the board, teams can prioritize workouts and interviews with those individuals remaining in the draft. As a result, players’ stock will continue to fluctuate with less than three weeks to go until the draft.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline. Team needs were taken into consideration for these picks.

All-American Oscar Tshiebwe to leave Kentucky, stay in NBA draft

Tshiebwe announced that he will remain in the NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.

Kentucky All-American Oscar Tshiebwe announced Wednesday on social media that he will remain in the 2023 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.

Tshiebwe declared for the draft on April 7 with the option to return to school. He had one year left of eligibility to utilize due to the extra year players received because of the coronavirus pandemic. He was said to be open to playing a fifth year.

The 6-foot-9 forward used the process to gain feedback from teams on his draft stock to form his decision. He has worked out with at least six teams and was among the prospects that competed in the draft combine in Chicago, Illinois.

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Tshiebwe will leave college with a decorated resume.

He was the men’s college player of the year in 2022 and a two-time consensus All-American with the Wildcats. He twice led the country in rebounding (2022, 2023) and ranks sixth on the all-time list at Kentucky after only two years (952 rebounds).

Tshiebwe was a consensus second-team All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and one block. He ranked second in total rebound percentage (23.6) and 15th in win shares (6.6).

The 23-year-old, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, isn’t projected to be drafted, but he will likely be a two-way contract candidate because teams have the option to sign a third player starting next season as part of the new CBA.

He had until 11:59 p.m. EDT to withdraw from the draft.

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John Calipari explains his role in helping Oscar Tshiebwe with the draft

The All-American declared for the NBA draft on April 7 with the option to return to school next season.

After opting to test the 2023 NBA draft, Kentucky All-American Oscar Tshiebwe has been getting some assistance from head coach John Calipari throughout the process.

Tshiebwe declared for the draft on April 7 with the option to return to school. He has worked out with several teams and is in the process of gaining feedback from coaches and executives regarding his draft positioning.

Calipari is also in communication with teams, as well.

The three-time Naismith Coach of the Year revealed Thursday on the “Dan Patrick Show” that he is helping Tshiebwe during the pre-draft process and gathering information for him.

He was in my office yesterday. I’m talking to NBA teams. I talked to one owner about Oscar because he is going to do some more workouts. My thing, right now, is to do everything I can to help Oscar get into that league because I believe he’ll stay. … Do I want to coach Oscar another year? Yes! I want to coach him another year but if I’m doing right by him, I gotta give him every opportunity to run this out and see exactly where he is.

Tshiebwe was a consensus second-team All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and one block. He led the country in rebounding for the second straight year and ranked second in total rebound percentage (23.6).

The 6-foot-9 forward is not projected to be drafted but will have the opportunity to work out with more teams before the early entry withdrawal deadline on May 31. He could also be a candidate to participate in the combine or G League Elite Camp this month.

Certainly, Calipari wants to see Tshiebwe and the rest of his players succeed and move onto the next level. However, he wants to ensure that Tshiebwe has all of the available information first before making that decision.

Calipari and Wildcats fans will be curious to see what happens.

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Boston reportedly works out a pair of 2023 NBA draft prospects

Boston keeping an eye on the potential prospects available to be selected with the Celtics pick in the second round of this year’s draft.

The Boston Celtics and their fans are firmly focused on the Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers that is about to begin. But the team itself has a sizable part of the organization keeping an eye on the potential prospects available to be selected with the Celtics pick in the second round of this year’s draft.

That pick may be the Houston Rockets’ second at No. 32, or the Portland Trail Blazers’ at No. 35 thanks to some arcane pick protections involving Boston’s trove of draft assets, but no matter how the draft lottery breaks, the Celtics will be picking near the top of the round, and have been holding workouts in that range of prospects per multiple reports.

One of the two prospects may end up returning to the University of Kentucky according to the New York Times’ Adam Zagoria, but has scheduled a workout with Boston, along with the Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, and Sacramento Kings among other NBA teams.

Kentucky All-American Oscar Tshiebwe to work out for Bucks, Celtics

Tshiebwe was a consensus second-team All-American after averaging 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and one block.

Kentucky senior Oscar Tshiebwe will reportedly work out with several teams in the immediate future, including the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings, according to Adam Zagoria on Twitter.

Tshiebwe announced on April 7 that he would declare for the 2023 NBA draft while maintaining the right to return to school next season. He has one year of eligibility left and is said to be open to returning to Lexington after testing the pre-draft process.

The 6-foot-9 forward was a consensus second-team All-American after averaging 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and one block. He led the country in rebounding for the second straight year and ranked second in total rebound percentage (23.6).

Tshiebwe is not projected to be selected in either round this year. However, he will have the opportunity to improve his stock in his upcoming workouts. He also is expected to be a candidate to compete in the draft combine or G League Elite Camp.

He will have until May 31 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

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