Oscar Tshiebwe to make Kentucky men’s basketball season debut tonight against Michigan State

Oscar Tshiebwe is back for Kentucky men’s basketball.

The star senior who averaged 17.4 points and a nation-best 15.2 rebounds per game last season will make his 2022-23 season debut for the Wildcats tonight for UK’s toughest test of the season so far: A prime-time clash with Michigan State (1-1) to begin the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis.

During the pregame radio show on UK radio, Kentucky head coach John Calipari said that Tshiebwe made it through Monday’s practice without swelling in his injured knee, and that Tshiebwe will play against Michigan State.

Calipari said Tshiebwe won’t start the game, though.

Tshiebwe was seen warming up on the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday night prior to the game against Michigan State.

On Monday, Calipari said that Tshiebwe would be practicing with UK later that day, marking the first time Tshiebwe would have practiced in full since last month.

“He’s been doing the conditioning stuff,” Calipari said. “He just hasn’t been on that court, and that’s totally different. My guess would be he plays 3-4 minutes at a stretch. If he plays. … Knowing him, he wants to play. But I can’t tell you right now.”

Kentucky recently welcomed back senior guard Sahvir Wheeler from a knee injury for Friday night’s win over Duquesne. Wheeler played 27 minutes in that win.

Also yet to appear for the Wildcats in a game this season is sophomore forward Daimion Collins, who has spent several days away from the team over the past couple of weeks following the unexpected death of his father prior to the start of the regular season.

Calipari said Monday that Collins is expected to be available and play for UK against Michigan State.

Tshiebwe last competed on the court during UK’s Pro Day event for NBA scouts on Oct. 9. Following that impressive Pro Day appearance, Tshiebwe dealt with a knee injury that required a procedure on his knee.

That surgery took place Oct. 13.

Tshiebwe did not play in the preseason Blue-White Game, in either of UK’s two exhibition contests or in the first two games of the season against Howard or Duquesne.

While Tshiebwe hasn’t publicly played in a UK uniform this season, Calipari has repeatedly said that Tshiebwe is ahead of schedule with his recovery process

Tshiebwe has warmed up with the Wildcats on the Rupp Arena court prior to Kentucky’s first two regular-season games.

While the Wildcats have fared just fine in their first two games of the 2022-23 season without the reigning national player of the year — recording wins by 32 and 25 points over Howard and Duquesne — Tshiebwe’s return to the court for UK comes at a crucial time.

The Spartans, while still not ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, impressed during a one-point loss to Gonzaga last week.

That game — played last week aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego as part of the Armed Forces Classic — saw Michigan State maintain a lead for most of the game before failing to score in the final 2:07 of the contest.

Tuesday night’s matchup between the Spartans and Wildcats is expected to be a physical affair, with rebounding one of the keys to winning the game, heightening the importance of Tshiebwe’s return.

According to KenPom, Kentucky currently ranks 139th in the country in offensive rebound percentage, while Michigan State ranks 157th in the nation in that same metric.

The way that Tshiebwe applies pressure to opposing defenses often results in a parade of trips to the foul line for the big man: Tshiebwe averaged nearly five free-throw attempts per game last season.

Through two games this season, Kentucky is currently 147th in the country in offensive free throw rate, accoridng to KenPom.

Additionally, Tshiebwe is returning for Kentucky right as the regular season schedule ratchets up significantly in difficulty.

UK will play South Carolina State at home Thursday night before traveling to play No. 2 Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington, on Sunday night.

This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 6:37 PM.

Cameron Drummond

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-242-5257

Cameron Drummond works as a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader with a focus on Kentucky men’s basketball recruiting and the UK men’s basketball team, horse racing, soccer and other sports in Central Kentucky. Drummond is a second-generation American who was born and raised in Texas, before graduating from Indiana University. He is a fluent Spanish speaker who previously worked as a community news reporter in Austin, Texas. Support my work with a digital subscription