On April 5, news broke that Ugonna Onyenso, Kentucky basketball’s 6-foot-11 sophomore-to-be, was entering the transfer portal.
One week later, the Nigeria native posted the following on Instagram: “I’m back.”
That rapid return might be the best thing that happens to Kentucky basketball for the 2023-24 season.
Yes, there is a chance former national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe remains a Wildcat one more season. Both Antonio Reeves and Chris Livingston have retained the option of another season of college basketball despite entering the NBA Draft.
And John Calipari welcomes the consensus No. 1 recruiting class to campus, one that includes the No. 2 (Justin Edwards), No. 3 (DJ Wagner), No. 4 (Aaron Bradshaw), No. 9 (Robert Dillingham) and No. 30 (Reed Sheppard) prospects in the 247Sports composite rankings.
Still, there is something about Onyenso to make you believe the unpolished center with an unlimited upside could be the key to the upcoming campaign.
Hit the rewind button to Nov. 11, 2022, when Kentucky whipped Duquesne 77-52 in the season’s second game. With Tshiebwe recovering from knee surgery, Onyenso scored nine points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots in 19 minutes. It was his second college game.
“That guy’s going to make a lot of money,” Duquesne Coach Keith Dambrot declared afterward. “He’s the new-fangled (center). That’s what those centers look like in the NBA.”
Strong words those about an 18-year-old relatively new to the sport. Onyenso played three years in the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal before moving to the United States, where he attended Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. After reclassifying to the class of 2022, he signed with Kentucky last August.
The plan was to redshirt Onyenso. After all, he arrived after Kentucky had played its exhibition series in the Bahamas. And with Tshiebwe, Collins and Lance Ware, there was no need to rush the freshman.
Then Tshiebwe underwent surgery. Onyenso scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked four shots in the season-opening win over Howard. Next came his standout performance against Duquesne.
When Tshiebwe returned, Onyenso’s playing time took a nosedive. That was especially true against quality foes. He played just one minute against Michigan State in the Champions Classic, one minute against Gonzaga in Spokane, one minute against UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden.
During SEC play, his team on a roller coaster, Calipari stuck with his more experienced players. After seeing 11 minutes of action in the Cats’ blowout loss at Alabama, Onyenso played six minutes the rest of the season, none after his three minutes in UK’s win over Auburn on Feb. 25.
With a bit more polish, Onyenso’s potential strengths could have addressed Kentucky’s real weaknesses. For example, the Cats ranked 103rd nationally in blocked shot percentage. That lack of rim protection contributed to UK’s uncharacteristically low national ranking (68th) in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com.
In a small sample size, Onyenso was better offensively than expected. He looked to be working on a face-up game as well as a hook shot. With his long arms and athleticism, he has the tools to be a force on the boards and in the paint.
“He’ll be if not the best, one of the best big guys in the country next year,” Calipari predicted on his end-of-the-season radio show.
What if Tshiebwe does return? If Oscar does opt for a third season as a Wildcat, it will be interesting to see how Calipari manages the trio of Tshiebwe, Onyenso and Bradshaw, the 7-footer from Camden, N.J., who projects as a power forward who can shoot from the perimeter and block shots.
Despite Tshiebwe’s outrageous numbers over the past two years, Kentucky won just one NCAA Tournament game. That would lead you to believe a different formula is required for the Cats to advance beyond the Big Dance’s first weekend for the first time since 2019.
It says here that by next March, Onyenso will be a major part of the solution. If not the most important part.
