Oscar Tshiebwe's final collegiate season won't get started the way he imagined. University of Kentucky coach John Calipari announced on Tuesday that the reigning National Player of the Year will have a “minor” procedure on his knee just less than a month before 2022-23 tips off.

Calipari announced the news on his personal Twitter account.

“I have good news and bad news,” he wrote. “Good news is Oscar had an unbelievable performance at Pro Day and the scouts loved what they saw. He came back to develop his game and become a more complete player and that's exactly what he displayed Saturday night. They loved it. Bad news is I kept him out of practice Sat. with knee stuff. He refused to sit out Pro Day and balled out. I made him sit out Mon. and get examined as a precaution. He's going to have a minor 15-minute procedure to clean some things up. Not a big deal, but no dancing at Madness!”

Oscar Tshiebwe averaged 17.4 points and a country-leading 15.1 rebounds per game last season, emerging as the consensus National Player of the Year after transferring to Kentucky from West Virginia. The senior contemplated entering the 2022 NBA draft, but ultimately decided to come back to Lexington to improve his draft stock while reaping financial benefits of NIL agreements.

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At 6'9, 260 pounds, Tshiebwe's blend of power, functional athleticism and hustle makes him one of the most productive college big men in years. Professional scouts hope to see him improve his shooting range and all-around skill with the ball this season, helping Tshiebwe better compensate for the size differential between NBA and NCAA competition. There are also questions about Tshiebwe's defensive capabilities at the next level given his relatively underwhelming physical tools.

Calipari shed no further light on the timeline for Tshiebwe's return to the floor. Expect high-flying sophomore Damion Collins to play a bigger role until Tshiebwe returns, picking up slack for a Wildcats team that's broadly considered a national title contender.