LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky senior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, last season's consensus national player of the year, was sidelined for the fourth-ranked Wildcats' opener against Howard on Monday.
The school announced before the game that the 6-foot-9 Tshiebwe (right knee) and guard Sahvir Wheeler (right leg) were out along with sophomore forward Daimion Collins (personal reasons).
Tshiebwe had a procedure on the knee last month and said on media day he anticipated being ready for the opener. The Democratic Republic of the Congo native did some pregame stretching and was honored with his Naismith Trophy as Player of the Year and a commemorative basketball for reaching 1,000 career points before taking his seat on the bench.