Kentucky basketball: 3 stars who won't be back and why

3 Kentucky basketball stars who won’t be back and why

By Drew Koch | Mar 20, 2023

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 19: Oscar Tshiebwe #34 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates with Lance Ware #55 and Chris Livingston #24 during the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Fieldhouse at Greensboro Coliseum on March 19, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

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GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 19: Oscar Tshiebwe #34 of the Kentucky basketball reacts during the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at The Fieldhouse at Greensboro Coliseum on March 19, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

The Kentucky Wildcats were ousted from the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Which three stars of the Kentucky basketball team won’t be back next season?

After being upset by Saint Peter’s in last year’s NCAA Tournament, reigning Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe returned to Lexington and the Kentucky basketball team was ranked in the Top 5 before the season tipped off last fall.

The season didn’t end the way Big Blue Nation envisioned it would. UKs season came to a screeching halt on Sunday after a 75-69 loss to No. 3 seed Kansas State in the second round of March Madness.

Kentucky has six seniors on the team, but those won’t be the only players head coach John Calipari is going to lose. Which three Kentucky basketball stars won’t be back next season and why?

Kentucky basketball star Oscar Tshiebwe won’t be back next season

Because of the COVID exemption, there’s still a chance that Oscar Tshiebwe will return to play for Kentucky basketball next season. But I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. Tshiebwe was the Naismith Player of the Year in 2021-2022 and should be taken in the upcoming NBA Draft.

The notion that Tshiebwe is a consensus second-round pick still boggles my mind. No, he’s not going to stretch the floor like many bigs in today’s NBA, but Tshiebwe is absolute monster on the glass. You can’t convince me that some team won’t take a flier on him during the latter half of the first round.

Oscar Tshiebwe is all but gone after spending the last two season suiting up for the Kentucky Wildcats. But, if the second-round projections continue to be the norm and the NIL money comes pouring in, perhaps Tshiebwe could be convinced to stay in Lexington for one more season.

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