Despite the team's first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky Wildcats star Oscar Tshiebwe has been rewarded for his phenomenal play throughout the regular season. Tshiebwe was named the 2021-22 National Player of the Year, taking home the John R. Wooden Award on Tuesday. He becomes the first Kentucky player since Anthony Davis to win the award and is the first-ever Wildcat to win as a unanimous selection.

The Kentucky transfer was sensational in his first year with the program. The junior transferred to the Wildcats from West Virginia ahead of the season and immediately made a massive impact on John Calipari's squad. Across 34 games, Tshiebwe averaged 17.4 points, 15.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and shot 60.6% from the field. He started all 34 games he played in for Kentucky and was the motor behind the Wildcats' 26-8 record.

Davis won the Wooden Award in 2012 after a tremendous season for Kentucky, during which he averaged 14.2 points and 10.4 rebounds. That year, Kentucky won the National Championship, and Davis took home a plethora of accolades, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Adolph Rupp Trophy. He was drafted first overall in the 2012 NBA Draft that same year.

Tshiebwe started his college career at West Virginia, spending two seasons there before departing the program after the 2020-21 season. His decision to leave West Virginia was personal, as he revealed he was no longer happy in the Mountaineers program. He featured in just 10 games in 2020-21, averaging 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds. He expressed his discontent with coach Bob Huggins' offensive system, and clearly, the move to Kentucky helped open up his game in a big way.