(Vicky Graff Photo)
Just a few weeks after talking about what his role would be on the 2023-24 Kentucky basketball team, freshman Ugonna Onyenso apparently has decided to enter the transfer portal according to multiple media outlets.
The 7-0 center reclassified so he could be at UK for the 2022-23 season to play with and learn from All-American center Oscar Tshiebwe and others. He barely played once Southeastern Conference play started but after UK’s NCAA Tournament loss he talked about picking up the slack with the loss of Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin off this year’s team.
Kentucky coach John Calipari used his final weekly radio show to praise Onyenso and predict he would be one of the nation’s top big men next season.
Onyenso might still be but now it apparently will not be at Kentucky.
Two weeks ago on The Leach Report Sunday Morning Sports Talk on WLAP one of our co-hosts, Kentucky Sports Radio’s Jack Pilgrim, said “Onyenso wanted to come back but his people were in favor of him leaving.”
What people? That’s becoming a big problem with UK basketball and maybe college basketball in general. Players have decisions dictated by “people” that could also be called handlers, agents, advisors, etc.
Onyenso is an elite shot blocker, something Kentucky lacked this season and certainly needs next year.
He averaged 2.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.9 minutes per game. His best outing was against Duquesne when he had nine points and 10 rebounds.
Point guard Sahvir Wheeler quickly put his name into the transfer portal after the season ended and Toppin declared for the NBA draft. Antonio Reeves has also put his name into the draft but kept open his option to return to UK next season. Rumors persist that freshman Chris Livingston will also either enter the draft or the transfer portal.
Now UK is going to lose Onyenso and apparently is already targeting Michigan 7-footer Hunter Dickinson, an all-American, in the transfer portal.
All this is the new way of life in college basketball but it certainly continues to disrupt any continuity at Kentucky and knowing “people” dictate what a player will do just adds another unknown — and probably unwanted — element to what Calipari and other coaches face that most of us have no way of understanding.
7 Responses
so much for the empty talk about twin towers.
I hope all of you Calipari lovers are happy now.
You have ponied up $250,000 to keep him big mouth.
Hate to say TOLD YOU SO. How can u not develop a 7 footer. I said there will be a mass exit of Cats, and it will really hit home when some of the new guys decommit/ and is all about Cal recruit then not play more than 7 guys.
All the teams in the final Four played 9. and they did not have the Highly rated as Cats did
What were you thinking Cal??????
Prez
I have read some articles that state Ugo had no say in this decision. It was made by his handlers because they wanted him to get more money from NIL even though he was receiving 6 figures this past year.
Just wish Cal had played him more to work on his development.
With NIL, a lot of coaches hands are tied because "Agents" are now running college basketball.
I wish Cal would transfer.
ouch