MANHATTAN — Kansas State basketball took one step nearer to a full roster Tuesday by including a 7-foot rim protector.
Ugonna Onyenso, who spent the previous two seasons at Kentucky, has signed with the Wildcats after withdrawing his identify final month from the NBA Draft.
The addition of Onyenso pushes Ok-State’s roster to 12 gamers with one scholarship remaining to provide. He provides the Wildcats a confirmed defensive drive on the inside after averaging 2.75 blocked photographs as a sophomore.
Onyenso, a consensus top-25 highschool prospect in 2023 earlier than reclassifying to the Class of 2022, performed in 16 video games as a freshman for Kentucky. However his taking part in time elevated final season when he averaged 18.7 minutes, 3.6 factors and 4.8 rebounds in 24 appearances whereas beginning the final 14 video games.
Onyenso, a local of Nigeria, selected Ok-State over curiosity from North Carolina, Mississippi State and Oregon.
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It was an enormous pickup for Ok-State coach Jerome Tang, who now has added three professional huge males to go together with a slew of guards by way of the switch portal. Final month the Wildcats signed versatile 6-9 Samford ahead Achor Achor, to go together with 6-11 ahead Baye Fall from Arkansas, to not point out athletic 6-6 junior school ahead Chimobi Ikegwaruka.
The Wildcats additionally return forwards David N’Guessan, Taj Manning and Macaleab Wealthy from final yr’s 19-15 staff.
Ok-State additionally must be effectively set within the backcourt with Michigan switch Dug Jones, Illinois-Chicago switch CJ Jones, Villanova switch Brendan Hausen and Max Jones from Cal State Fullerton. 4-star level guard David Castillo is the lone highschool recruit.
Arne Inexperienced is predicated in Salina and covers Kansas State College sports activities for the Gannett community. He will be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This text initially appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball lands former Kentucky 7-footer Ugonna Oneyenso