Should Oscar Stay or Go?

West Virginia freshman phenom Oscar Tshiebwe must decide on his collegiate future.

The NCAA and the governing bodies of professional athletics were left to tackle the hardest decision its had to make in the past 20 years. As the world struggled with containing the COVID-19 virus, sports as a whole in the United States ceased to exist.

The NCAA decided that there will not be a conclusion to the conference tournaments across the country that were taking place just a few days ago. And the most damning of all -- there will not be an NCAA Tournament in 2020.

The NCAA is not the only one faced with making difficult decisions, however. West Virginia freshman phenom Oscar Tshiebwe will also have to come to terms with the future of his collegiate basketball career.

Sooner rather than later, the realization will set in that the 2020 college basketball season has seen its final day, that rather than participating in 'March Madness', the Mountaineers will return home and wonder "what if?"

What if West Virginia's win against Baylor in the final game of the regular season was a sign of things to come? What if the Mountaineers had found its swagger and were primed for a memorable run on the big stage?

What if former five-star and McDonald's All-American Oscar Tshiebwe decides to test the NBA Draft water?

The more important question is should one of nation's best freshman stay in college for at least one more year?

West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins and the university's legion of fans have been in this predicament before. Just a year ago, Sagaba Konate opted to enter his name into the NBA Draft, hire an agent and leave Morgantown. The verdict is understandably still out on if that was the best decision Konate could have made.

More importantly, if Konate had returned, he would have done so understanding he would be returning to a loaded front court, featuring the duo of Tshiebwe and Derek Culver.

Oscar, on the other hand, has very little in his way of becoming "the guy" once again for the Mountaineers in 2021. But, he's admittedly still a project, still a young man who just recently picked up the game of basketball, figuring out just how dominate he can be.

Despite averaging 11 points and nine rebounds as a true freshman, there are very few reports that peg Tshiebwe as a potential selection in the upcoming NBA Draft. The thought is that West Virginia's star attraction needs to sharpen his offensive game and become more efficient around the basket.

Without a reasonable doubt, Oscar may be the most athletically gifted 6-foot-9, 258-pound man in college basketball, but what if he returned for at least one more season under the guidance of a future Hall of Fame head coach?

What if Oscar doesn't punch his ticket as a one-and-done and commit to becoming an even more dominant player in the paint?

The natural process would involve Tshiebwe entering his name into the draft, receiving invaluable feedback from NBA teams that will help his game flourish. If Tshiebwe decides to not hire an agent, he will be able to return to school for the 2021 season.

IF Tshiebwe elects to journey down the same path Jevon Carter did prior to his senior season, Oscar could eventually play his way into a lottery pick.

For West Virginia fans, a commitment from Tshiebwe to return for next season could help ease the pain of losing the NCAA Tournament.