LEXINGTON - There has been little to celebrate for Kentucky basketball fans since a shocking season-ending loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter's in the NCAA Tournament.
Until Wednesday at least.
Beloved star forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who swept the major National Player of the Year awards, is returning to school. The projected second-round pick announced he will delay starting a professional career for at least one more year in order to play for Kentucky again next season.
After more than a decade of UK stars leaving Lexington after just one or two seasons of college basketball, Tshiebwe's return offers hope that name, image and likeness reforms could usher in more stability for John Calipari's rosters moving forward.