MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Former WVU forward Oscar Tshiebwe committed to the University of Kentucky Sunday, nine days after West Virginia announced he had left the school for personal reasons.
Tshiebwe officially entered the NCAA transfer portal on Jan. 6, and according to reports, held a Zoom call with Kentucky head coach John Calipari on Jan. 8, before announcing his decision.
Kentucky was one of Tshiebwe’s finalists in 2019, when the former McDonald’s All-American first chose WVU.
In 42 games, Tshiebwe averaged 10.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. He led the Mountaineers in scoring and rebounding as a freshman.
In an interview with WVU play-by-play announcer Tony Caridi, Huggins said “outside influences” played a part in Tshiebwe deciding to transfer.
“It was 100% outside influences,” Huggins said. “I think it’s the world we live in. It’s better to steal than it is to work and earn things. It’s take the easy way out. I think there were some people involved who saw where they could benefit and maybe profit and work very diligently at trying to get him out.”
Huggins and Calipari are close friends and Huggins confirmed the Kentucky coach had texted him before Tshiebwe committed.
“He didn’t ask me anything,” Huggins said Monday.
According to a published report by 247 Sports, Tshiebwe said Kentucky just felt like the right place. It is not known yet if the 6-foot-9 forward will be immediately eligible or will have to wait until next season to play.
“I just love Kentucky and I just feel like it’s the perfect place for me,” Tshiebwe said. “I think I am going to get better. I like the way they play and everything.”
Tshiebwe has not returned messages left for him by The Dominion Post.
In other WVU news, Huggins said freshman forward Isaiah Cottrell had a successful surgery last week from a torn Achilles tendon, but is expected to be out the remainder of the season.
“Isaiah has already started doing whatever it is they are allowing him to do, which obviously at this point isn’t very much,” Huggins said. “Isaiah wants to play and something I love is that he wants to do it in a West Virginia uniform. He wants to represent the state.
“He’s on a mission to be able to come back and play. I communicated with his mother (on Sunday). Everything went as well as it can possibly go. We certainly don’t want to rush it. The kid has got a great future.”
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