Kansas State: Tshiebwe unlike any opponent we've faced
Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe eyed the rim after grabbing one of his UK postseason record 25 rebounds against Providence. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
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@JDrumUK
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- After dispatching of 14th-seeded Montana State in its NCAA East Region opener, Kansas State's focus quickly turned to a more daunting challenge, and one that kept head coach Jerome Tang up most of the night.
How does one devise a game plan to deal with Kentucky's rebound-hoarding big man Oscar Tshiebwe?
"We will try to make it difficult for him," Tang said with a shrug, "but guys like that do what they do."
Tshiebwe, who has led the nation in rebounding each of the last two years as a consensus All-America pick, grabbed an eye-popping 25 rebounds on Friday in leading sixth-seeded Kentucky to a 61-53 win over Providence at Greensboro Coliseum.
He had more rebounds than the Friars' entire starting lineup (22) in helping Kentucky dominate the glass 48-31.
The 6-foot-9, 260-pound native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo became the first player to record more than 24 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game since Michigan's Phil Hubbard in a 1977 game against Detroit. Tshiebwe also shattered Kentucky's school record for rebounds in a tournament game, eclipsing the old mark of 24 set by Jerry Bird against Iowa in 1956.
The performance was so dominant, helping the Wildcats own an 18-2 advantage in second-chance points, that Providence head coach Ed Cooley compared Tshiebwe's rebounding prowess to that of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman and perennial all-star Ben Wallace.
Tang didn't need to see much film of the effort.
"I didn't have to look at Oscar on film," he said. "We recruited him really hard when he was coming out of high school, then watched him play for two years and competed against him at West Virginia, you know, so I've see it up close and personal. He does have that 'it' (factor)."
Kansas State's players say they have faced comparable talent to the Kentucky roster while competing in the Big 12, which is widely regarded as college basketball's top conference.
There was one notable exception.
"I don't think we've had to play against a center like Oscar, a dominant big like that. That will be something new to us," said KSU forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who is an athletic 6-10 but will be giving up close to 50 pounds to Tshiebwe.
The purple-clad Wildcats were outrebounded in Big 12 play this season by a fraction, 327-324. Thanks in large part to Tshiebwe, but also strong rebounders like Jacob Toppin and Chris Livingston, Kentucky outrebounded SEC opponents by almost 10 per game.
"They rebound like West Virginia," said KSU forward Keyontae Johnson, the former Florida Gator whose team split two close affairs with the Mountaineers this season.
"It's going to be a team effort," Johnson added. "We know (Tshiebwe) gives them a lot of second-chance points, so we just have to limit their offensive rebounds, box him out, find him when they get shots up. He is going to get his no matter what. That's what he do. He was national player of the year last year, (so) we have to have a team efffort on him. We all will come together and have a solution for it."
