Tag: Ugonna Onyenso

Former Wildcat Ugonna Onyenso commits to Kansas State

Former Kentucky center Ugonna Onyenso will take his shot-blocking ability to Kansas State.

When D.J. Wagner committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks, that left former Wildcats center Ugonna Onyenso as the last player from last year who hadn’t picked a new team. On Tuesday, he ended the process, and announced he’s headed to Kansas State.

Onyenso came to Kentucky as a four-star prospect and was ranked as a top 40 player in the 2022 class. He was seen as a terrific defender with offensive upside, and chose the Wildcats over multiple teams, including Kansas and the Oklahoma Sooners.

Related: Kentucky roster tracker for 2024-25

He didn’t play a lot as a Freshman, but became a solid contributor as a Sophomore. He started 14 games, and he proved to be very good on the defensive end of the floor, blocking 2.8 shots per game. Offensively, he is still a work in progress, but potential is there.

Onyenso originally declared for the NBA draft, but pulled out to return to school. Now he’ll continue his college career at Kansas State, and hope to improve his game in the hopes that he can be drafted next year. Big Blue Nation wishes him the best with his new team.

Rutgers basketball predicted as landing spot for transfer portal center Ugonna Onyenso

Rutgers basketball predicted to land a transfer portal center.

After landing forward P.J. Hayes this week, another transfer portal addition is being predicted for Rutgers basketball: center Ugonna Onyenso.

A former four-star recruit, Onyenso committed to Kentucky as part of the 2022 recruiting class. Onyenso would certainly fill a need at Rutgers.

The 7-foot center played his high school basketball at Putnam Science Academy (Putnam, Connecticut). He is a member of the Nigerian national team.

In high school, he was ranked the No. 39 overall recruit in the nation by 247Sports.

Last year as a sophomore at Kentucky, Onyenso averaged 3.6 points and played 18.6 minutes per game. He is a strong rebounder (4.8 rebounds per game) and an elite shot blocker (2.8 blocks per game).

His skill set, including an emerging offensive game, would be a good fit at Rutgers.

 

College Basketball Report projected that Onyenso, ranked the No. 14 player in the transfer portal, will land at Rutgers:

Onyenso would join an incoming group at Rutgers that features two five-star recruits in the class of 2024. Forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] (the top player in the nation by USA TODAY High School Sports) and guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] are both five-star recruits and are part of a top-10 recruiting class for Rutgers.

Potential first-round pick Jaylon Tyson visited the Trail Blazers for a predraft workout

Potential first-round pick Jaylon Tyson was among the prospects who worked out with the Trail Blazers on Thursday.

Potential first-round pick Jaylon Tyson was among the six prospects who attended a predraft workout with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, the team announced.

Tyson was named to the All-Pac-12 first team this past season after averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals on 36% shooting from 3-point range as a junior at Cal. His 607 points were the seventh-most by a Cal player in a single season.

The 6-foot-7 guard registered 17 20-point games, the most by a Golden Bear since Jerome Randle in the 2009-10 season. He reached that mark in six consecutive games to start conference play, the longest streak in program history since 1997.

Joining Tyson in the workout on Thursday were West Virginia guard RaeQuan Battle, UCLA forward Adem Bona, Kansas State forward Arthur Kaluma, Kentucky forward Ugonna Onyenso and Florida guard Will Richard.

The Trail Blazers figure to be very active in the predraft process because they have four draft picks in the top 40 (7, 14, 34, 40). The organization will likely cast a wide net and bring in as many prospects as possible for workouts and interviews.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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Ugonna Onyenso: NBA Draft scouting report and intel

2004 | 6’11 | 7’5 WS | 225 LBS Team: Kentucky Agency: Daniel Hazan Best aggregate mock draft rank : 28 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Onyenso averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 0.3 steals per game. He shot …

2004 | 6’11 | 7’5 WS | 225 LBS

Team: Kentucky

Agency: Daniel Hazan

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 28 / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Onyenso averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 0.3 steals per game. He shot 55.0 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from the foul line.

Five potential landing spots for former Wildcat Ugonna Onyenso

Five schools that could be contenders for Ugonna Onyenso if he pulls out of the NBA draft.

When Kentucky basketball changed head coaches this offseason from John Calipari to Mark Pope, the entire roster had to be rebuilt. One of the defections was center Ugonna Onyenso, who surprised many by declaring for the NBA draft, rather than transferring.

However, eventually, Onyenso did enter the transfer portal, and if he decides to pull out of the draft, will have to pick a new team for the 2024-25 season. USA TODAY Sports writer Andy Patton recently listed five schools where the former Wildcats center could land.

At the top of the list is in-state rival Louisville. The Cardinals are rebuilding their roster as well, and need talented players at every position.

Related: Kentucky basketball recruiting targets for 2025

The North Carolina Tarheels need frontcourt help after losing Armando Bacot, and could be a contender for Onyenso as well.

The list is rounded out by three SEC teams. The Oklahoma Sooners, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Mississippi State Bulldogs are all options for Onyenso as well.

A decision is probably still a little ways off, as players still have time before having to decide whether or not to stay in the draft. If he returns to college, he’ll have options for sure. It’ll be an interesting story to monitor for Kentucky fans.

All-American Caleb Love headlines list of invitees for G League Elite Camp

Arizona senior Caleb Love was among the 45 players invited to participate in the G League Elite Camp on May 11-12 in Chicago, Illinois.

Arizona senior Caleb Love was among the 45 players invited to participate in the 2024 NBA G League Elite Camp May 11-12 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

Love was voted a third-team All-American by the Associated Press and the Pac-12 Player of the Year after averaging 18 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals on 41.3% shooting from the field with the Wildcats. He finished fourth in the conference in scoring.

The 6-foot-4 guard transferred to Arizona in May 2023 after spending three years at North Carolina. He finished with 1,476 career points in 101 games with the Tar Heels and made 200 3-pointers, which ranks eighth in program history.

The full list of players invited to the G League Elite Camp:

Player Previous
Mark Armstrong Villanova
Taran Armstrong Cairns Taipans (NBL)
Adama Bal Santa Clara
Keion Brooks Jr. Washington
Terrell Burden Kennesaw State
Branden Carlson Utah
Walter Clayton Jr. Florida
Isaiah Crawford Louisiana Tech
Yongxi Cui Guangzhou (China)
Clarence Daniels New Hampshire
Thierry Darlan G League Ignite
Garwey Dual Providence
Sean East II Missouri
Jesse Edwards West Virginia
Boogie Ellis USC
Tristan Enaruna Cleveland State
Aaron Estrada Alabama
Allen Flanigan Mississippi
Enrique Freeman Akron
Blake Hinson Pitt
Jaelen House New Mexico
Isaac Jones Washington State
Arthur Kaluma Kansas State
Chaz Lanier North Florida
Jaedon LeDee San Diego State
Xaivian Lee Princeton
Jalen Lewis Overtime Elite
Malique Lewis Mexico City Capitanes (G League)
Caleb Love Arizona
Baba Miller Florida State
Emanuel Miller TCU
Judah Mintz Syracuse
Matthew Murrell Mississippi
Baye Ndongo Georgia Tech
Jameer Nelson Jr. TCU
Ugonna Onyenso Kentucky
Wooga Poplar Miami (Fla.)
Zyon Pullin Florida
Mantas Rubstavicius NZ Breakers (NBL)
Babacar Sane G League Ignite
Isaiah Stevens Colorado State
Jarin Stevenson Alabama
Nae’Qwan Tomlin Memphis
Bryson Warren Sioux Falls Skyforce (G League)
Anton Watson Gonzaga

The 45 prospects invited to the G League Elite Camp were voted on by team executives. The list of players typically indicates those with the highest odds of being selected or signed as undrafted free agents with teams after the draft on June 27.

The event will feature 5-on-5 games, strength and agility testing, shooting drills, measurements and other related on-court exercises. Prospects will have the opportunity to improve their draft stock in a competitive environment against their peers.

The top players from the G League Elite Camp will be invited to participate in the draft combine on May 12-19. The event has helped several players advance to the combine and eventually make it to the NBA, including Jose Alvarado, Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Terance Mann.

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