According to a report by Ben Roberts of the Herald-Leader, big man Ugonna Onyenso will return to Kentucky next season.
“I’ll be back here next season,” Onyenso told Roberts over the weekend.
Onyenso, who John Calipari believes will be one of the best big men in the country next year, didn’t play much as a freshman but showed great signs for the future when he did log minutes.
Here is an excerpt:
Onyenso logged 20 minutes in UK’s season-opening victory over Howard University. He played 19 minutes four days later in a win over Duquesne. He scored 15 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked seven shots over those two games, raising eyebrows and ratcheting up the expectations for his college basketball future.
It was assumed that when Tshiebwe returned to full health, Onyenso would take a seat. And that assumption proved mostly true. But the flashes the newcomer showed during his brief time on the court — 16 blocks in 110 total minutes, most notably — had his coaches and teammates gushing about the player he could become.
“He’s going to be a really good player,” senior forward Jacob Toppin said. “When he gets the minutes … he’s gonna showcase what he really can do. And it’s special.”
Just how difficult has it been to score over Onyenso in UK’s practices? Toppin grinned.
“It’s hard. It’s hard. He’s very long,” he said. “So you either gotta get into him and try to finish over him, or he’s definitely going to block it. He’s a really good player, and I’m looking forward to see what he can do in the future.”
Onyenso knew year one at Kentucky would be a learning process, and those around the program said he soaked things up like a sponge. John Calipari marveled at how the coaches would have to tell Onyenso something just once, and he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Teammates talked about how — even when Onyenso didn’t block a shot — his mere presence in the paint would have potential scorers thinking differently.
