Oscar Speaks

Since the West Virginia basketball season came to an abrupt end, the major question surrounding the team has been, “Will Oscar Tshiebwe return next season?”

Several insiders have said that Tshiebwe is “100% returning to WVU”, basing this opinion on second and third-hand rumors.

However, yesterday Oscar posted a message on his social media account that read: “Wish it didn’t end like this.  Had a lot more to prove.”

It’s still unclear whether he was referring to the end of the season or the end of his career at West Virginia University.

Rather than continuing to wonder what’s going on in Oscar’s head, I decided to speak directly to him and what he had to say was very interesting.

When asked whether he was returning to WVU next season or not, Tshiebwe responded by saying, “This is not a good time to talk about this.  There is a lot of things going on in the world right now and I don’t even know what next step is going to be.”

For those that are saying that he is definitely going to return or that he is definitely leaving for the NBA, he is still undecided and not at all committed either way yet.

Tshiebwe, who nearly averaged a double-double for the season (11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds on 55% from the field), is still very raw as a player but already has the physique to play in the NBA.  In addition, his tremendous upside and incredible knack for getting rebounds will make him appealing to NBA scouts.

Tshiebwe was the highest ranked high school player that the Mountaineers have landed in decades and proved to be one of the most talented interior players in the Big 12 in his first season.  If Tshiebwe returns, the Mountaineers will again have one of the best post combos in the nation and will likely be highly ranked in preseason polls.