Five things: Ugonna Onyenso is a terrific addition for Kansas State
1.) The battle for Kentucky big man transfer Ugonna Onyenso was a bit of a marathon. He entered the portal just after it opened and stayed available in the recruiting process until just days ago. Part of that was because he exhausted the entire NBA Draft process. Some of it was allowing other big man dominoes to fall, such as Nick Pringle (South Carolina), Clifford Omoruyi (Alabama), Norchad Omier (Baylor) and Oumar Ballo (Indiana). Kansas State was plenty involved with those targets as well, but they got their big man in Onyenso.
2.) Other interests and options existed for Onyenso (in addition to K-State), though some did eventually fizzle out of course. North Carolina was a big factor at one point until they landed Ven-Allen Lubin from Vanderbilt. Alabama was squarely in the mix before taking Omoruyi. There were whispers about Louisville.
3.) Kansas State was the only visit he took, though the Tar Heels and Cardinals were chasing. Onyenso committed to the Wildcats while still in Manhattan. He likely arrived on campus with the intention of giving the good word to head coach Jerome Tang. One last spot remains for K-State, and all eyes will turn to the likes of Coleman Hawkins and Jamir Watkins.
BREAKING: 7-foot Kentucky transfer big man Ugonna Onyenso has committed to Kansas State, sources tell @On3sports. Was the top available center in the portal. https://t.co/2BRFHyiOHK pic.twitter.com/yJHX33Zh0S— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 4, 2024
4.) His numbers won’t blow anyone away, but they require a deeper dive as well. He’s a defensive anchor and his career block rate is even better than Omoruyi, whose considered to be one of the best big man defenders in the country. Onyenso just never played a ton of minutes, but he was great in those that he gave. Head coach John Calipari just never could stick with one guy in Lexington. He went through periods where he’d roll with Onyenso, but others when he chose to rely more on Zvonimir Ivisic (Big Z) or Aaron Bradshaw. Onyenso may not have always been the most consistent, but he was not given consistent minutes. With that being said, the newest Kansas State Wildcat broke the block record at Rupp Arena, was a nuisance on that end of the floor, blocked tons of shots, altered several more and was lethal in the transition game. His offensive game was limited, and his goal in Manhattan is to develop that portion and expand it to attract NBA scouts even more. Remember, he still doesn’t turn 20 years old until September.
5.) Onyenso will technically still have two years of eligibility at K-State. Though, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to unveil that his goal is to be one-and-done in Manhattan. He’s the rim protector and big man that Tang has been searching for. Though he’s a load, he’s plenty mobile to not be a liability when defending the pick-and-roll game and can certainly run the floor. In fact, his best moments on the offensive end were actually as the lob guy on the roll or in fast break opportunities.
The post Five things: Ugonna Onyenso is a terrific addition for Kansas State appeared first on On3.
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