Rebounding is not regularly revered.
It’s applauded, sure, but it’s telling that the NBA’s current rebound leader — Rudy Gobert — may be better recognized for being the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19, while the league’s leaders in points per game are well-known by only one name: Durant, LeBron, Giannis.
And yet, one of the leading candidates for this season’s national college player of the year is Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, who’s made his mark on the glass with a Division I-best 14.8 rebounds per game. One of the 6-foot-9, 255-pound center’s most impressive performances came at home against Western Kentucky last month when he grabbed 28 boards; after the game, the effervescent Tshiebwe grabbed a fan’s sign tallying his rebounds and hoisted it above his shoulders.