College basketball's best player has been named a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award - who would've guessed it.
Oscar currently is leading the Wildcats in points per game (16.9), rebounds per game (15.3), steals per game (1.8), blocks per game (1.5) and field-goal percentage with a minimum of 100 attempts (60.2%). Since the 1978-79 season, only one Wildcat has led the team in those five categories (minimum 130 field-goal attempts) in a single season – Davis in 2011-12.
Anthony Davis is also the only Wooden Award winner in Kentucky Basketball history.
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Paolo Banchero (Duke), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Collin Gillespie (Villanova), Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga), Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Johnny Juzang (UCLA), Walker Kessler (Auburn), E.J. Liddell (Ohio State), Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona), Keegan Murray (Iowa), Jabari Smith (Auburn) and Drew Timme (Gonzaga) are all also in the running for the national award.
Reasons he should win the award:
He's averaging a double-double
He's averaging a team-best 16.9 points and a nation-leading 15.3 rebounds per game
He is looking to become the first Division I player to average at least 15.0 points and at least 15.0 rebounds per game since Drake’s Lewis Lloyd and Alcorn State’s Larry Smith each did during the 1979-80 season and the first Wildcat to do it since Bob Burrow tallied 19.1 points and 17.7 rebounds per game in 1954-55
Tshiebwe is the only major conference player averaging at least 1.5 blocked shots and 1.5 steals per game
He has also grabbed 70 more rebounds than the next closest player this season, through games on March 1
Tshiebwe is in the midst of notching 12 straight double-doubles, the longest streak since Issel had 12 straight in 1969-70. Tshiebwe is tied with Randle for the second-most double-doubles in a single season in UK history
He has scored at least 20 points in a team-high 10 games.
He's the most humble guy to walk any hardwood in college basketball
The finalists for the 2022 Wooden Award will be announced on March 30th. Oscar appears to be the heavy favorite.