Kentucky's Ugonna Onyenso to enter transfer portal

Kentucky center Ugonna Onyenso’s time in Lexington is over before it ever really started, entering the transfer portal after just one season, multiple sources tell KSR.

The former four-star center out of Nigeria previously announced he would be returning for his sophomore campaign as a Wildcat. Head coach John Calipari openly discussed the possibility of playing Onyenso and blue-chip signee Aaron Bradshaw together in a twin-towers lineup — “We may be able to play two seven-footers at one time because they’re both skilled” — and in the same breath said the freshman center was “going to end up being special.”

That was after Calipari said his “gut is (Onyenso) will be the best big guy, if not one of the best big guys in the country next year.”

Unfortunately, he’ll be working to turn that potential into production elsewhere, now set to explore his options in the portal.

The 6-foot-11 shot-blocking talent played just 18 total minutes in SEC play, 11 coming in one game (at Alabama). That led to zero playing time in the SEC or NCAA Tournaments. He saw early opportunities (20 minutes vs. Howard, 19 vs. Duquesne, 22 vs. South Carolina State and 18 vs. North Florida) — all with Oscar Tshiebwe out or easing his way back following offseason knee surgery — then saw spot minutes the rest of the way as the last player off the bench.

His short spurts, though, were brilliant. Onyenso went for six points, four rebounds and four blocks in his debut vs. Howard, followed by nine points, 10 rebounds and three blocks vs. Duquesne. Six points, four rebounds and three blocks vs. South Carolina State, then seven points, 10 rebounds and three blocks vs. North Florida. Maybe his biggest performance against real competition came against Michigan in London, going for four points, two rebounds and two blocks in seven minutes.

Calipari met with Onyenso leading up to the NCAA Tournament, who pushed back on potential playing time frustrations with the understanding his time would come down the road. “‘Coach, coach, coach, I didn’t expect to be playing,'” he told him at the time. “‘Whatever you need me to do, I’m there.'”

“He’s gotten so much better as a player,” the Kentucky head coach added. “He’s just behind some pretty good players.”

Just over two short weeks later, Onyenso is headed to the portal.

The native of Owerri, Nigeria was rated as the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 3 center in the final On3 player rankings for 2022. He previously reclassified from 2023, where he was widely seen as the best shot-blocking talent in his age group — and potentially all of high school basketball. During his original recruitment, Onyenso chose the Wildcats over offers from Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Texas Tech, LSU, Ole Miss, Seton Hall, Clemson, Providence, Georgetown, Georgia, Washington State and California.

Expect a long list of schools to express heavy interest once again.

As for Kentucky? Well, things just got a whole lot more complicated in the frontcourt for 2023-24.