Reed sheppard is leaving Kentucky wildcast today as….
Kentucky men’s ball got another 7-footer back on the court Saturday night. After solid proposals all week long that sophomore center Ugonna Onyenso may make his season make a big appearance for the Cats on Saturday against North Carolina within the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, head coach John Calipari taken after through and gave Onyenso his to begin with minutes of the 2023-24 season. With 13:04 cleared out within the to begin with half of Saturday’s diversion and Kentucky holding a 15-8 lead over UNC, Onyenso checked into the amusement for first year recruit center Aaron Bradshaw
By the conclusion of what got to be a completely engaging 87-83 Kentucky win over UNC, Onyenso had totaled 10 minutes of playing time. For the diversion, Onyenso had 1 point, 1 bounce back, 1 help and 3 squares in his time on the floor. Onyenso too had a team-worst plus/minus of -13. Onyenso had decided squares in both the primary and moment parts. Foul inconvenience within the to begin with half for Bradshaw and fifth-year forward Tre Mitchell — and early within the moment half for Bradshaw once more — given the chance for Onyenso to play a bit more that originally arranged.
Pregame, Calipari said on UK radio that Onyenso joined the Wildcats in Atlanta on Saturday morning which he may play approximately five minutes within the amusement. Taking after Saturday’s amusement, Calipari said Onyenso had the flu, and that’s what deferred the sophomore’s entry in Atlanta. Onyenso went through full pregame warmups with Kentucky ahead of the matchup with North Carolina. This stamped the primary time this season that Onyenso went through the total pregame warmup process with the Cats. Kentucky begun Bradshaw against the Tar Heels, the primary begin of his college career.
Prior this week, Calipari said on his week by week radio appear that Onyenso would be back within the Wildcats’ hones this week.
On Thursday, UK right hand coach Bruiser Rock talked to columnists as on the off chance that Onyenso would be on the court at a few point against the Tar Heels, who are tied down by preseason All-America center Armando Bacot. Onyenso, a second-year huge man who is initially from Nigeria, hadn’t played for Kentucky however amid the 2023-24 season, earlier to Saturday’s appearance. He supported a foot harm the day some time recently UK started play within the offseason GLOBL Stick competition in Canada in July.
As a first year recruit, Onyenso as it were played 110 add up to minutes, but he blocked 16 shots amid that span, counting four recreations with three-plus pieces within the to begin with three weeks of the season. Onyenso’s playing time altogether dropped off, be that as it may, when SEC play arrived. Over the ultimate two months of the season, Onyenso as it were played in one diversion, a three-minute appearance in a 32-point blowout domestic win against Coppery in February. “Ugonna was truly great recently. He truly was,” UK right hand coach Chuck Martin said on the “Behind Kentucky Basketball” podcast Wednesday. “He looks solid, he looks solid. He looked truly great protectively — in pick-and-roll scope — considering he hasn’t doneanything in three or four months.”
