Tshiebwe leaves the pitch, finds his place on the court with West Virginia

Oscar Tshiebwe always thought he would make an impact in sports, it’s just that he believed it would be one far removed from a basketball court.

Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the athletic Tshiebwe put his talents to use not on a basketball court but a soccer field. It was his first love as he idolized Cristiano Ronaldo and dreamt of using his combination of size and speed to make an impact as a goalie instead of scoring baskets.

The sport was more prominent in his home country and due to the time difference NBA basketball games often wouldn’t even air until he was asleep.

But his frame quickly out-grew the sport and he was directed into the direction of basketball where his height could be used more effectively. Tshiebwe didn’t start playing the game until May of 2014 but quickly realized that with his ability to run up and down the floor at his size he could find a place.

“I wanted to stay in soccer but they pushed me over there and I ended up loving basketball,” he said.

Tshiebwe has blossomed quickly rising from essentially an unexperienced product five years ago to one of the top 30 players nationally in his recruiting class with offers some of the nation’s elite programs.

Now, a true freshman at West Virginia it’s Tshiebwe that many believe could be the key in helping to turn around the fortunes of the basketball program after last season. And it’s not just the fan base either as Tshiebwe was picked as the Big 12 freshman of the year in the preseason poll.

That could be a lot for some newcomers, but for Tshiebwe it’s just another day.

“Oscar is a very level headed kid and I think if anything it’s made him hungrier to be better because he knows he’s behind in a lot of areas,” head coach Bob Huggins said.

The now 6-foot-9 physically impressive Tshiebwe is still learning the position such as with his footwork in the post and moves to score on the block, but he’s showing growth. And perhaps more importantly is a willingness to not only listen to the coaches but his teammates as well.

“He’s got a lot to learn but the great thing about him is that he wants to learn,” Huggins said.

Because he was so much more physically dominant than many of the players he was matched up against at the high school level, Tshiebwe is learning how to finish at this level against players with his skill set. That process has required a lot of film review and watching tape.

He also has made it a habit to spend time before each practice working on that part of his game in order to make those leaps necessary to attempt to live up to the expectations.

“If I have a question I just ask,” he said.

Another newcomer in junior college guard Taz Sherman has seen the natural ability that Tshiebwe brings to the table as he has already dunked on him and blocked one of his shots off the top of the backboard. But it’s exciting to think of what he could become down the road.

“A lot of people started at six. Basketball wasn’t his first sport so for him to be as talented as he is, it’s impressive,” Sherman said.

These days, Tshiebwe doesn’t spend as much time emulating soccer stars as he does trying to pick up tips from watching professional basketball players with similar skill sets such Serge Ibaka and Clint Capela as athletic big men that can run the floor, rebound and hit some shots.

Tshiebwe is expected to play both the four and the five during his first season in Morgantown and that too has been a learning experience as he primarily worked at the five since starting out. His skill set was on display in the exhibition scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in an impressive effort.

Still, expect him to be constantly working at it because that’s simply what he does best.

“It’s motivation and gives me more motivation to work hard and improve,” he said.

WATCH: Musings from the Mountains | West Virginia Football | Episode 38

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