INDIANAPOLIS — Kentucky star Oscar Tshiebwe showcased his impact on Tuesday when he finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds in his first game of the season following offseason knee surgery.
But the team also felt the Wooden Award winner’s absence when he fouled out in the first overtime in Michigan State‘s 86-77 double-overtime win over No. 4 Kentucky in the Champions Classic.
“That was the coach’s decision [to allow me to play],” Tshiebwe said Tuesday after missing the team’s first two games while he recovered from arthroscopic surgery. “I went through rehab and everything was good. I was just going to play a little bit. The game was really tough and I had to play. I feel really good.”
Tshiebwe did not waste time showing the crowd, which featured a multitude of NBA scouts and executives including Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, why he has a chance to match Ralph Sampson Jr. as the only two-winner of the Wooden Award.
Along with his double-double, he also finished with four blocks and finished 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
But the Kentucky star also demonstrated some of the challenges that come with missing a month of practice following his surgery in October.
He had five turnovers. He settled for a tough jump shot that clanked off the rim toward the end of regulation. He also got lost on a Michigan State inbounds play when Malik Hall scored in the final seconds of regulation and sent the game into its first overtime.
Kentucky was outscored 17-7 after Tshiebwe picked up his fifth foul with 32 seconds remaining in the first overtime.
“Oscar isn’t Oscar yet,” Tom Izzo said after the game.
John Calipari said Tuesday was the first time the team had played together due to injuries. And Daimion Collins has missed time due to the death of his father. Calipari said all of that impacted the Wildcats down the stretch of a close game.
“We weren’t ready,” he said after the game. “I told them in the locker room, ‘We’re not ready for teams that are ready to finish the end of games.’ They executed better than us.”
But Tuesday’s game also allowed Michigan State to shine four days after it suffered a 64-63 loss to No. 2 Gonzaga on an aircraft carrier in San Diego. The Spartans don’t have an NBA lottery pick on their roster. Joey Hauser (23 points) and Co., however, played with the grit that’s defined Izzo’s tenure at Michigan State and secured a win over a Kentucky team with Final Four potential.
Izzo said he…
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