Ugonna Onyenso: The Missing Piece for UNC Basketball?

As the UNC basketball team looks to bolster its roster for the 2024-25 season, one name has emerged as a top target: Ugonna Onyenso, the 7-foot center from Nigeria who spent two seasons developing his skills at Kentucky before entering the transfer portal and declaring for the NBA Draft.

Ugonna Onyenso patrols the paint

Even if the UNC basketball recruiters reel in former Vanderbilt forward Ven-Allen Lubin, they’d still have two more scholarships available for the 2024-25 season. And it seems they’d still need either a starting center or at least a capable backup to rising junior Jalen Washington should Hubert Davis and his staff believe Washington is ready for a starter’s load of minutes at the five.

Onyenso, who averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and an impressive 2.8 blocks in only 18.8 minutes per game as a sophomore at Kentucky this past season, looks like the most promising option for the Tar Heels.

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According to college hoops expert Adam Zagoria, six programs remain in play for Onyenso: UNC, Oklahoma, Louisville, Mississippi State, Alabama, and Georgetown. But judging by available minutes and chatter among insiders, it appears the Onyenso sweepstakes is coming down to his UNC basketball suitors, now the perceived favorite, and fellow ACC school Louisville.

“I think Onyenso would be a great fit for UNC,” said an anonymous source close to the program. “He’s a dominant force in the paint and would give the Tar Heels a much-needed boost in the frontcourt.”

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For now, though, Onyenso remains a draft entrant with less than two weeks to withdraw and retain his remaining two years of NCAA eligibility. That said, there’s reason to believe he’ll return to college, as he appears at No. 60 on ESPN’s latest ranking of the 100 best draft prospects available, just outside of being a projected second-round selection.

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Stay tuned for more updates on Ugonna Onyenso and UNC basketball recruiting news.