News report:I wish to return back to Kentucky Wildcat…

admin | January 20, 2024 | Kentucky Wildcats | No Comments

Ugonna Onyenso Will Be Playing Sophomore Season in Kentucky
Onyenso’s name was taken off the transfer portal after a week, following his announcement that he would be returning to Lexington for a second season.

In just a few short days, the Ugonna Onyenso saga took many different turns, but it’s coming to a happy conclusion for the center and Big Blue Nation.

The Nigerian native from Iwo State, Owerri, declared that he had removed his name from the transfer portal after entering it on April 5 and that he would be returning to Lexington for a second season as a Wildcat:

“I’m back and excited to work with my brothers to pursue our goal of taking home a national championship! Go Cats!” wrote Onyenso.

Three days after a report claimed that a return to the UK was being considered, he announced his decision. It was made apparent that his “handlers” had other plans in mind when he made the initial decision to enter the portal rather than necessarily wanting to leave Kentucky. The financial benefit of being a Wildcat turns out to be more advantageous than the other options that became apparent during Onyenso’s portaling.

According to 247Sports Composite, Onyenso was a 4-star prospect out of Putnam Science Academy (Conn.) and ranked No. 36 in the 2022 class. He reclassified from the 2023 class and played an average of 6.9 minutes per game in 16 games for the Wildcats this season as a true freshman. In all, he played just eighteen minutes in the SEC, mostly as a backup to Lance Ware and Oscar Tshiebwe. In a game, he averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds.

Regarding the nearly 7-footer, UK head coach John Calipari previously stated, “He’s behind some pretty good players, but at the end of the day, my guess is he’ll be, if not the best, one of the best big guys in the country next year.”

Ugonna Onyenso believes this UK Basketball team can make a “deep run” - A Sea Of Blue

Onyenso has made his plans known, even though fellow forwards Oscar Tshiebwe, Lance Ware, and Daimion Collins have not yet made their final decisions. Aaron Bradshaw, a 7-foot player, is one of the five new freshmen on the roster when he returns. Calipari had previously expressed interest in having several big men of that caliber play together on the court the following season.

Onyenso was undoubtedly initially a part of those plans, and even though for a short while it appeared like they were abandoning them, they can now be revived as the Wildcats’ 2023–24 roster tries to start taking shape.

Following a turbulent offseason, Kentucky basketball has returned to the preseason Top 25.
With the return of Antonio Reeves and the addition of forward Tre Mitchell through the transfer portal, things took a turn for the better for the ‘Cats.

The Kentucky Wildcats and John Calipari have had an extremely busy season.

Kentucky advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after finishing the previous season with a respectable 22-12 record. However, as a six seed, they were defeated 75-69 by Kansas State, a three seed.

John Calipari Still Appreciative To Coach at Kentucky After 15 Years, "I'm Lucky and Fortunate" - KY Insider

Since then, though, the majority of the talk has focused on players leaving the program. Notable rotation players Sahvir Wheeler and CJ Fredrick entered the transfer portal, while Oscar Tshiebwe and Chris Livingston both continued to be selected in the NBA draft.

Actually, as of late, Kentucky had just seven scholarship players confirmed, five of them were incoming freshmen from a 2023 class that is thought to be historically weak.

However, as is frequently the case, the ‘Cats’ fortunes were reversed with the arrival of Tre Mitchell, a late addition to the transfer portal after coach Bob Huggins left for West Virginia, and the return of seasoned guard Antonio Reeves.

Kentucky is now ranked No. 17 in ESPN’s most recent preseason Top 25, and podcast host Lance Dawe of Locked on Kentucky explained everything in the most recent episode.