Vicky Graff Photo
Because he’s from Africa, it would be easy to understand if Ugonna Onyenso did not fully comprehend the significance of a college rivalry.
However, the Kentucky sophomore center certainly seems to have the same feel as UK fans for tonight’s game at Louisville.
He barely played in last year’s 86-63 Kentucky win over the Cardinals but he probably will play more tonight as Aaron Bradshaw’s backup, especially if the game turns into the blowout most expect.
Onyenso, though, made it clear Wednesday that he gets what the rivalry means in the Bluegrass.
“It means a lot to me, the little rivalry thing. Kentucky has to win. “We still have to practice and prepare because it’s a very big game. That’s not the game you can walk in feeling relaxed. We’ve got pressure on us,” Onyenso said.
Pressure? Maybe being a huge favorite does make players feel that way because a Kentucky win is expected and a Kentucky loss would perhaps be the worst in the John Calipari era.
“We really have to make this work,” Onyenso said. “We want to have a good Christmas. If we win this game, we’re going home happy. I’m sure there are other teams looking forward to that too.”
2 Responses
His remarks remind me of Woo. Even though he was originally from Poland, there seemed to be no player on Kentucky’s team who got more excited for the Kentucky-Louisville game. He always seemed to do well in those games as well.
good memory Karen