July 25, 2026, 9:01 a.m. ET
Oscar Tshiebwe was a fan favorite during his time in Lexington. After spending two seasons with West Virginia, Tshiebwe joined the Kentucky Wildcats for his last two years in college.
He was an absolute unit with Kentucky, averaging 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds during the 2021-22 season and earning an AP Player of the Year award as well. He returned for his senior season and went for 16.5 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, shooting 56% from the field. Tshiebwe was a menace in the paint, and as he developed in Lexington, he did start to show more promise as a mid-range shooter as well.
His skill set hasn’t perfectly translated to the NBA, but he’s been able to stay in the league throughout the last few seasons. Tshiebwe spent his first season with the Indiana Pacers but really started to gain traction with the Utah Jazz, playing in 14 games during the 2024-25 season and then 27 the season following, starting six games of those as well. He was extremely efficient, shooting 63.4% from the field and averaging 7.8 points per game.
That said, he’s now taking his talents to Texas, signing with the Houston Rockets.
Tshiebwe didn’t get to spend any time in Lexington with Reed Sheppard, but the two former Cats will now be on the same team. Sheppard really works well in the pick-and-roll, and Tshiebwe was terrific at setting screens and rolling while in Kentucky. That should be a good combination in Houston and hopefully bodes well for both players.
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The actual details of the contract are still yet to be disclosed, so that should come out as time passes as well.