Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe Declares for 2023 NBA Draft; Won National POY in 2021-22

Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe is the latest men's college basketball star to declare for the upcoming NBA draft.

He announced the decision on his Instagram page Friday.

Tshiebwe, 23, was great after transferring to Kentucky ahead of the 2021-22 season from West Virginia.

He was named National Player of the Year for averaging 17.4 points, a Division I-high 15.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

He said he will maintain his college eligibility, which would allow him to return to the Wildcats if he chooses.

While he didn't reach the same level of production that he did in his first season with the Wildcats, Tshiebwe was still excellent in his second season, as he scored 16.5 points per game and again led Division I with 13.7 boards.

He was one of the most elite rebounders in college hoops in recent years.

It's worth monitoring Tshiebwe's draft stock over the coming months, as he hasn't been a highly touted prospect.

In his most recent two-round mock draft, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman did not have Tshiebwe getting selected, which would leave the door open for him to return to Lexington next season.

Wasserman listed only one player to be drafted from Kentucky, which is usually deep with NBA talent: freshman guard Cason Wallace at No. 9 to the Utah Jazz.

The Wildcats have a good outlook going into next season, even with the potential absence of Wallace and Tshiebwe. Coach John Calipari has once again reloaded the program with the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2023 cycle, according to 247 Sports' composite rankings.

Kentucky has signed four 5-star recruits, including three of the top four players in the class in Justin Edwards (No. 2), DJ Wagner (No. 3) and Aaron Bradshaw (No. 4).