Sad News: I Will Not Play Again……

Pete Nakos of On3 reports that Ugonna Onyenso, a center for the Kentucky Wildcats, has accessed the Transfer Portal.

This choice was made in response to head coach John Calipari’s decision to go from Kentucky to Arkansas. He did this after losing in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. Under Calipari, it was the Wildcats’ second consecutive season failing to advance past the first round in three years.

In addition, Onyenso already signed an agency and submitted an NBA Draft declaration in 2024.

Nigerian-born Ugonna Onyenso attended Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut for his high school basketball career.

Based on the On3 Industry Ranking, he was rated as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022 there. In that cycle, he was ranked as the 31st player overall and as the fifth-ranked center in his class.
He had reclassified to the Class of 2022, making him, at the age of 19, one of the nation’s youngest players with several years of collegiate experience.

Ugonna Onyenso played in 40 games and made 14 starts during his two seasons at Kentucky. Those were all of his starts in the 2023–24 campaign.

Ugonna Onyenso was a potent inside presence who played an average of 14 minutes each game in 2023–24. He also averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per game throughout the season. He averaged 2.8 blocks and 0.3 thefts per game when playing defense.

ESPN listed Ugonna Onyenso as the 25th-best available NBA Draft prospect heading into the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Therefore, the big man still has the chance to try his luck in the NBA.

Visit On3’s Transfer Portal wire to stay up to date with the most recent players who are on the move.

The former Kentucky big man is prepared to step it up, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who reports that he will hire an agent in addition to filing for the 2024 NBA Draft. And with this declaration about his future, Onyenso made it obvious what he intended to do.

“I’m prepared to advance to the next phase. I have no intention of returning to play college basketball. Onyenso declared, “I’m totally focused on the NBA.”

The seven-foot-tall big man is presently rated among the top 100 NBA draft prospects by ESPN. Despite having little playing time and production at Kentucky this past season, Onyenso is still ranked No. 47 on their list. With a solid chance of being drafted and an even greater chance of being invited to the NBA Summer League and potentially earning a position on an NBA roster through those channels, Onyenso’s ranking of No. 47 places him in the middle of the pack.