Kansas State University Athletics
‘I’m Doing This for You’
Aug 12, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
In less than 72 hours, Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso will be in the arms of Lilian Chinyere, his mother, who he hasn't seen the last two years of his life. He was born in Owerri, the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria. It is state's largest city with more than 1.4 million residents and consists of three local government areas. Mother raised five children in her home following her husband's death. She told her oldest son, Ugonna, "Someday you've got to be a man, and in order to be a man, it comes from your own." Ugonna became a man early. He had younger ones to help take care of. When it came time for Ugonna to seek his future in the United States, it was his mother who wrangled with all the paperwork to make a dream come true.
"I keep telling her I'm doing this for you," Ugonna says. "Every time I wake up, she's the one I think about before I start my day."
It's a Wednesday in mid-July. Ugonna sits inside the team meeting room at the Ice Family Practice Center. He wears a grey K-State t-shirt and black sweat shorts. Every day begins inside an apartment a couple full court passes from the front doors of the practice facility on the campus of Kansas State. He wows head coach Jerome Tang with his soft voice ("It's a voice that hugs you when he talks to you," Tang says) and with his 15-footer and his deft knowledge in the five-out offense and his ability to operate off a triple handoff and elite skills as a rim protector. (In practice, he's even shown that he can sink a 3-pointer.)
Ugonna is 7-foot and 247 pounds and a former consensus top-25 recruit. He arrived in Manhattan in June after spending two seasons at Kentucky (2022-24), where he was a member of two NCAA Tournament teams. He played 40 games at Kentucky, including 14 consecutive starts to end this past season.
"He runs at his size like a guard," Tang says.
There will be a time when Ugonna's skills will be on display at Bramlage Coliseum. But not now. He misses his mom.
"I miss her a lot," he says. "My mom, she understands. I'm really happy going to Nigeria. I can't wait to see my family. I haven't seen them in two years. It's a little surprise."
Soccer was Ugonna's first love. He was always tallest in his class. It wasn't until age 12 that he picked up a basketball for the first time. As for surprises? Ugonna's early skills were rooted in the NBA Academy Africa student-athlete program in Thies, Senegal for three years. He played in a number of high-profile international competitions in Europe, Mexico and the U.S.
At age 17, he became one the youngest players ever to play on the Nigeria national team.
In January 2021, Ugonna moved to the United States and played for the Putman Science Academy in Putnam, Connecticut, his senior season, leading Punam to 20 consecutive wins and a National Prep Basketball Championship. He averaged 11.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.7 blocks.
"I just came from NBA Academy in the midseason and whatever Putnam needed for us to win I was going to do it," he says. "Coming from Africa to win a championship was really amazing."
Ranked as a top-25 prospect in the 2023 class by all the major scouting services, he reclassified to the 2022 class.
"I feel like I could've done better," he says. "If I had gone back to school one more year, I probably would've been top-5 in the country, but I came to college."
The first time Tang saw Ugonna was inside a gym in June 2022 — three months after Tang was hired at K-State. Ugonna played really well in his first game, and then was unbelievable the next. Then Tang spotted John Calipari in the stands. Tang said, "Oh, that's why."
"You can always tell kids who are really interested based on how hard they play in front of which coaches are there," Tang says. "Shortly after, he reclassified and committed to Kentucky."
Ugonna developed into one of the top shot blockers during his two seasons at Kentucky, posting 82 blocks in 40 games, and his 2.75 blocks per game in 2023-24 ranked fifth in Kentucky history. He tied a Rupp Arena record with 10 blocks in a win over Ole Miss on February 13, 2024, equaling a mark set by David Robinson on January 25, 1987.
"I was like, 'I have do get 10,'" Ugonna says. "I was surprised because I had seven blocks in the first half. I had 11 blocks, but they took one out. I wasn't surprised that I did it but in an environment like that against a team like that, it showed me I could do it."
Ugonna averaged 3.1 points on 54.3% (51-of-94) shooting with 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 14.0 minutes per game in his Kentucky career.
He announced that he was declaring for the NBA Draft on April 15 and opted to return to the college scene and play a junior season on May 29. He was ranked by ESPN as a top-70 prospect in the 2024 draft. He opted not to stick around Kentucky and several other prominent schools came calling.
That included K-State.
"Coach Tang said they had been looking at me since I was in high school," Ugonna says. "I was surprised when he said that to me. It was between here and USC for me. For me, I wanted to see the culture for players, how well the players get along, and I came here and the staff and everybody was one big family. That's what I love.
"Especially being away from my family."
Ugonna was all about K-State.
"I was like, 'It's time to make a change and change the environment," Ugonna says. "Coming to K-State and getting to play for Coach Tang is amazing."
He continues.
"It's like a family bond here and that's what I want," Ugonna says. "It's really fun being here, especially with the group of guys we have. It's pretty fun out on the court — we're having fun there, too. I love it here. Most places, everybody tries to go on their own, but here, we play around, and we get serious when it's time to take care of business.
"Playing for one another is truly amazing."
Exactly how talented is K-State?
"You're going to have to wait and see," Ugonna says. "We have the pieces. We just have to play together as one. When we play together, we're going to go far. Our strengths are playing with each other and being there for each other — being your brother's keeper."
Tang says that every day Ugonna comes to the court "with an empty cup."
"He allows you to pour into him," Tang says. "He's one of the quickest guys at transferring learning. You teach him something and he goes out and he does it right away. That's so hard for a lot of people, but that's because a lot of people come in with so much basketball. He's coming in with not a lot of basketball background, so he's absorbing and embracing everything."
Asked how long Ugonna might play college basketball before declaring for the NBA Draft again, Tang replies, "Everybody has their own timetable. I'm just treating every day like it's the only day we have with him and try to do the best we can to help him be the best player he can be."
Ugonna says: "I got something to prove to myself. I feel like I can do way better than I'm doing. I got to prove to myself that I can do it and I can be who I think I am. That's the situation I'm at."
Ugonna thinks about one day taking his game to the next level.
"My family doesn't really know much about basketball but for me, this is a way for me to grow as a person and learn about different people and different cultures in order for me to make an impact on this society," he says. "It's a platform for me to play for my family. One of my dreams, it's different when you hear your name called, and I feel like for me, I want to make my dream come true by playing longer in the NBA. It's not about getting your name called. It's like, 'Can you stay in the league?' For me, I'm preparing my mind that if I do hear my name called, I have to work my way into staying there for a very long time."
But before any of that, there's the flight from the U.S. to Nigeria, and the walk home to his unsuspecting mother. He has been dreaming of this moment. He has thought of this moment each morning when he wakes up. He has thought of this moment as the days ticked down to his voyage home.
"The first thing I'm going to say to her?" he says. "Surprise!"
An emotional reunion, for sure, as one life pauses in Nigeria, and another life awaits in the Little Apple.
"I'm just happy to be at K-State," he says. "I can't wait to play for K-State. It's a new environment for me and I'm loving it. I really appreciate the opportunity to be here. What do I want to be known for?"
He pauses.
"I want to be known as a guy who helped K-State win a championship."
In less than 72 hours, Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso will be in the arms of Lilian Chinyere, his mother, who he hasn't seen the last two years of his life. He was born in Owerri, the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria. It is state's largest city with more than 1.4 million residents and consists of three local government areas. Mother raised five children in her home following her husband's death. She told her oldest son, Ugonna, "Someday you've got to be a man, and in order to be a man, it comes from your own." Ugonna became a man early. He had younger ones to help take care of. When it came time for Ugonna to seek his future in the United States, it was his mother who wrangled with all the paperwork to make a dream come true.
"I keep telling her I'm doing this for you," Ugonna says. "Every time I wake up, she's the one I think about before I start my day."
It's a Wednesday in mid-July. Ugonna sits inside the team meeting room at the Ice Family Practice Center. He wears a grey K-State t-shirt and black sweat shorts. Every day begins inside an apartment a couple full court passes from the front doors of the practice facility on the campus of Kansas State. He wows head coach Jerome Tang with his soft voice ("It's a voice that hugs you when he talks to you," Tang says) and with his 15-footer and his deft knowledge in the five-out offense and his ability to operate off a triple handoff and elite skills as a rim protector. (In practice, he's even shown that he can sink a 3-pointer.)
Ugonna is 7-foot and 247 pounds and a former consensus top-25 recruit. He arrived in Manhattan in June after spending two seasons at Kentucky (2022-24), where he was a member of two NCAA Tournament teams. He played 40 games at Kentucky, including 14 consecutive starts to end this past season.
"He runs at his size like a guard," Tang says.
There will be a time when Ugonna's skills will be on display at Bramlage Coliseum. But not now. He misses his mom.
"I miss her a lot," he says. "My mom, she understands. I'm really happy going to Nigeria. I can't wait to see my family. I haven't seen them in two years. It's a little surprise."
Soccer was Ugonna's first love. He was always tallest in his class. It wasn't until age 12 that he picked up a basketball for the first time. As for surprises? Ugonna's early skills were rooted in the NBA Academy Africa student-athlete program in Thies, Senegal for three years. He played in a number of high-profile international competitions in Europe, Mexico and the U.S.
At age 17, he became one the youngest players ever to play on the Nigeria national team.
In January 2021, Ugonna moved to the United States and played for the Putman Science Academy in Putnam, Connecticut, his senior season, leading Punam to 20 consecutive wins and a National Prep Basketball Championship. He averaged 11.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.7 blocks.
"I just came from NBA Academy in the midseason and whatever Putnam needed for us to win I was going to do it," he says. "Coming from Africa to win a championship was really amazing."
Ranked as a top-25 prospect in the 2023 class by all the major scouting services, he reclassified to the 2022 class.
"I feel like I could've done better," he says. "If I had gone back to school one more year, I probably would've been top-5 in the country, but I came to college."
The first time Tang saw Ugonna was inside a gym in June 2022 — three months after Tang was hired at K-State. Ugonna played really well in his first game, and then was unbelievable the next. Then Tang spotted John Calipari in the stands. Tang said, "Oh, that's why."
"You can always tell kids who are really interested based on how hard they play in front of which coaches are there," Tang says. "Shortly after, he reclassified and committed to Kentucky."
Ugonna developed into one of the top shot blockers during his two seasons at Kentucky, posting 82 blocks in 40 games, and his 2.75 blocks per game in 2023-24 ranked fifth in Kentucky history. He tied a Rupp Arena record with 10 blocks in a win over Ole Miss on February 13, 2024, equaling a mark set by David Robinson on January 25, 1987.
"I was like, 'I have do get 10,'" Ugonna says. "I was surprised because I had seven blocks in the first half. I had 11 blocks, but they took one out. I wasn't surprised that I did it but in an environment like that against a team like that, it showed me I could do it."
Ugonna averaged 3.1 points on 54.3% (51-of-94) shooting with 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 14.0 minutes per game in his Kentucky career.
He announced that he was declaring for the NBA Draft on April 15 and opted to return to the college scene and play a junior season on May 29. He was ranked by ESPN as a top-70 prospect in the 2024 draft. He opted not to stick around Kentucky and several other prominent schools came calling.
That included K-State.
"Coach Tang said they had been looking at me since I was in high school," Ugonna says. "I was surprised when he said that to me. It was between here and USC for me. For me, I wanted to see the culture for players, how well the players get along, and I came here and the staff and everybody was one big family. That's what I love.
"Especially being away from my family."
Ugonna was all about K-State.
"I was like, 'It's time to make a change and change the environment," Ugonna says. "Coming to K-State and getting to play for Coach Tang is amazing."
He continues.
"It's like a family bond here and that's what I want," Ugonna says. "It's really fun being here, especially with the group of guys we have. It's pretty fun out on the court — we're having fun there, too. I love it here. Most places, everybody tries to go on their own, but here, we play around, and we get serious when it's time to take care of business.
"Playing for one another is truly amazing."
Exactly how talented is K-State?
"You're going to have to wait and see," Ugonna says. "We have the pieces. We just have to play together as one. When we play together, we're going to go far. Our strengths are playing with each other and being there for each other — being your brother's keeper."
Tang says that every day Ugonna comes to the court "with an empty cup."
"He allows you to pour into him," Tang says. "He's one of the quickest guys at transferring learning. You teach him something and he goes out and he does it right away. That's so hard for a lot of people, but that's because a lot of people come in with so much basketball. He's coming in with not a lot of basketball background, so he's absorbing and embracing everything."
Asked how long Ugonna might play college basketball before declaring for the NBA Draft again, Tang replies, "Everybody has their own timetable. I'm just treating every day like it's the only day we have with him and try to do the best we can to help him be the best player he can be."
Ugonna says: "I got something to prove to myself. I feel like I can do way better than I'm doing. I got to prove to myself that I can do it and I can be who I think I am. That's the situation I'm at."
Ugonna thinks about one day taking his game to the next level.
"My family doesn't really know much about basketball but for me, this is a way for me to grow as a person and learn about different people and different cultures in order for me to make an impact on this society," he says. "It's a platform for me to play for my family. One of my dreams, it's different when you hear your name called, and I feel like for me, I want to make my dream come true by playing longer in the NBA. It's not about getting your name called. It's like, 'Can you stay in the league?' For me, I'm preparing my mind that if I do hear my name called, I have to work my way into staying there for a very long time."
But before any of that, there's the flight from the U.S. to Nigeria, and the walk home to his unsuspecting mother. He has been dreaming of this moment. He has thought of this moment each morning when he wakes up. He has thought of this moment as the days ticked down to his voyage home.
"The first thing I'm going to say to her?" he says. "Surprise!"
An emotional reunion, for sure, as one life pauses in Nigeria, and another life awaits in the Little Apple.
"I'm just happy to be at K-State," he says. "I can't wait to play for K-State. It's a new environment for me and I'm loving it. I really appreciate the opportunity to be here. What do I want to be known for?"
He pauses.
"I want to be known as a guy who helped K-State win a championship."
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