Kentucky Basketball Player Preview: Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso

The Kentucky Wildcats will take the ground at Rupp Area for the primary common season recreation towards Howard on November seventh.

Whereas followers are excited throughout the board for the return of Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler, Jacob Toppin, and others, it’s the new faces to the Kentucky basketball program that would make an enormous distinction to the result of this season.

Now let’s check out the most recent member of this yr’s frontcourt.

Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso

• Top: 7-feet
• Weight: 233 kilos
• Class: Freshman
• Place: Middle
• Hometown: Initially from Nigeria however involves Lexington by means of Putnam, CT
• Recruiting Rankings: Was thought-about a 4-star prospect within the class of 2022 and ranked because the No. 39 participant within the class by the 247 Sports activities Composite rankings.

A late reclassification to this yr’s recruiting class, Onyenso provides plenty of long-term worth to the boys’s basketball program.

Referred to as the most effective shot-blockers in America throughout highschool, his defensive instincts will even carry over to his time in Lexington. This provides Kentucky one thing they haven’t had over the past a number of seasons — a dominant rim protector.

Now we have seen gamers just like Onyenso flourish below John Calipari at Kentucky; now it’s nearly persevering with to take the subsequent steps to spherical out his offensive recreation.

Over the course of the preseason, since his arrival on campus in August, we’ve got seen sneak peeks of his recreation, particularly on offense.

He has proven good contact across the basket, whereas additionally flashing a easy jumper that can seemingly solely get higher with time. Add in his dimension and size within the transition recreation, and he additionally might determine to be a pleasant lob risk for the minutes he’ll see this season.

That’s the place this entire query begins for Onyenso: How a lot will we see him take the courtroom this season?

When he first arrived on campus, the plan was for Onyenso to redshirt for his first season in Lexington, permitting him to follow towards Oscar daily to assist him be ready to take over a beginning function subsequent season.

Now along with his play and the damage to Oscar Tshiebwe, it turns into a risk we might see Onyenso have an enormous function early this season. Together with his play and skillset, it ought to be one thing Massive Blue Nation ought to be excited to observe.

Onyenso got here to Kentucky with the plan of being the subsequent star huge man to return by Calipari’s program. Though his function this season comes behind Oscar and Lance, the long run could be very shiny for this system on the middle place for the subsequent few years to return.

And all of it comes again to the reps that he’s getting in follow towards the reigning NPOY this season. It’s going to be thrilling to see him proceed to take steps ahead this season.

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