33 Ugonna Onyenso

Ugonna Onyenso was born Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso on September 25, 2004, in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria to Martins and Lilian Chinyere.  He has four siblings: Ikenna, Chiwendu, Chidinma, and Queen.

Onyenso attended the NBA Academy Africa for more than two years.  During his time with the academy, he participated in a number of high-profile international competitions in Europe, Mexico, and the United States, including the Tarkanian Classic and NBA Academy exhibition games.  He helped NBA Academy Africa win the European Youth Basketball League Tournament in Hungary.  In February of 2020, he became one of the youngest players ever to make the senior men’s Nigerian National Team. He made his debut with the team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers in November of 2021.  Onyenso spent his senior season at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut, the same program that former Wildcat Hamidou Diallo hailed from.  There, Onyenso made his debut on February 3, tallying 10 blocked shots in his first high school game. In his lone semester at Putnam, he averaged 11.4 points, nine rebounds, and nearly six blocks per game, with his team going 20-0 over that stretch, ultimately winning the national prep school championship.  He also shot 64.4% from the floor and had five games with at least 10 blocked shots.

Over a week-and-a-half span in late July of 2022, Onyenso took official visits to UK, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. At that point, it was widely expected that he would ultimately pick Kentucky, and he did just that on Aug. 1, 2022, announcing his commitment to the Cats and his move to the 2022 class.

Onyenso is a 6-foot-11, 225-pound big with the size and speed to wreak havoc in the paint on both ends of the court. His frame allows him to impose his will in the paint, and he has the potential to develop into an elite rebounder and shot blocker with terrific natural instincts.

As a freshman, Onyenso played in 16 games off the bench.  He averaged 2.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shot per game.  He chipped in with seven points, 10 boards and a team-high three rejections in a win over North Florida and posted six points and three blocks in the win over South Carolina State.  Onyenso had a game-high 10 rebounds and added nine points and three blocks in the win over Duquesne.  He blocked a game-high four shots to go along with six points and four rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench against Howard.

As a sophomore, Onyenso played in 24 games, starting the last 14.  He averaged 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 points and 2.75 blocks per game.  His 2.75 blocks per game rank him fifth all-time at Kentucky among players with a minimum of at least 30 blocks.  He charted 16 games with multiple blocks, including 12 with three or more rejections.  Onyenso had five blocks in the NCAA Tournament vs. Oakland.  He had six boards and four rejections in the upset of No. 4 Tennessee on the road and he collected a team-high 11 rebounds at No. 13 Auburn while scoring seven points.  Onyenso recorded 10 blocks at Ole Miss. He set career highs in points (13), rebounds (16) and steals (2), while also blocking eight shots vs. Florida in what was his first career double-double. He made  his season debut vs North Carolina after missing the first nine games with a foot injury.

Onyenso declared for the 2024 NBA Draft on April 15, 2024.

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