Kentucky big man Ugonna Onyenso proved his importance in Kentucky’s 63-57 comeback win over Arkansas.
Taking the court at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, not much went right for Kentucky early on.
With Aaron Bradshaw starting in the five spot, though it was not directly his fault, the Cats started 1-16 from the floor and didn’t make their first field goal for over three minutes.
Despite not starting, Onyenso would be the first big to attempt a shot in the game, though it was a missed 3-pointer which extended UK’s cold streak to 10 shots, with Bradshaw going 0-1 for the entirety of the game with no points.
Scoring wasn’t the only place Bradshaw struggled, however, recording the same number of personal fouls as he did rebounds, and finishing the game with a -2 in +/-, a statistic that tracks how well the team does when an individual is on the court.
So, some fans may be wondering, what about Kentucky’s third key big man, Zvonimir Ivišić?
“Big Z” also recorded a goose egg in the scoring column, not even attempting a single shot in his extremely limited three minutes on the court, with Kentucky head coach John Calipari saying “Z just needs to catch up to us.”
With that in mind, Onyenso’s role was increased similar to how he saw his role increased in College Station earlier in the month.
Playing 25 minutes, the Nigerian’s six points may not seem like much, but Onyenso finished with a +14 in +/-, the highest on the team ahead of leading scorer Antonio Reeves (+9) and the always dependable Reed Sheppard (+5).
Onyenso recorded three blocks and four rebounds, making his six points down low with thunderous dunks.
“He’s incredible,” Reeves said about his teammate. “Ugo is definitely getting better, he’s reading plays – there was this one time he tried to give-and-go to me and he faked it and just dunked the ball. Tough plays like that we need out there.”
Reeves wasn’t the only one to credit Onyenso for his effort in the win, with Calipari having high praise for his big man.
“Ugo was the difference in the game,” Calipari said. “Now you say, ‘Well, what does that do?’ He probably moves up. He may start now and Aaron may come off the bench.”
Onyenso’s importance was felt throughout the game but perhaps felt most in the final stretch when Kentucky was desperately trying to just put the game away, but the Hogs refused to relent.
“Ugo was huge tonight,” Sheppard said. “Blocking shots and getting rebounds, that’s what we need. He got a big dunk for us, so he stepped up. I was super proud of everyone and how they played.”
With his play helping boost the Cats to a bounce-back victory in a game that easily could’ve been the start of a losing skid, it’s little surprise both teammates and coaches alike were quick to praise the 7-foot forward, especially after how his season began.
Few will forget that Onyenso was only able to make his debut for the Cats on Dec. 16 in the CBS Sports Classic against No. 3 North Carolina after injuring his foot before the season, a big reason why UK was without all three of its seven-footers at the beginning of the season.
As if that wasn’t difficult enough, Onyenso made his debut after Bradshaw, essentially starting him out as a backup despite being the highly touted returning player.
“I like what he’s been through,” Calipari said. “The foot. Having to wait his turn. Fighting for what you want. I keep telling him, ‘The rest of your basketball life nothing will be given to you. You either take it or someone will take it from you. You gotta stand your ground and fight.’”
With Onyenso making it clear he’s here to stay, and perhaps even here to start, the Cats will look to begin another winning streak when they return home to Rupp Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 31, to host the Florida Gators.
Tip-off against the Gators is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN.
Dr Chike Onyenso • Jan 28, 2024 at 6:23 pm
Go Ugo!!!! We delightedly proud of your achievements