Ugonna Onyenso Returning to Kentucky for Sophomore Season

After being in the transfer portal for one week, Onyenso's name has been removed as the center announced his return for a second season in Lexington.

The Ugonna Onyenso saga took many turns in the span of just a few days, but it's ending on a positive note for the center and Big Blue Nation. 

After entering the transfer portal on April 5, the Iwo State, Owerri, Nigeria native has announced that he has removed his name from the portal and will return to Lexington for a second season as a Wildcat:

I’m back! pic.twitter.com/TQnlXlF584

— Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso (@OnyensoUgonna) April 12, 2023

"I'm back and looking forward to chasing my dream of winning a national championship with my brothers! Go Cats," Onyenso wrote. 

The announcement of his decision comes just three days after a report stating that a return to UK was being considered. It was made clear that the original decision to enter the portal wasn't necessarily because he wanted to leave Kentucky, but his "handlers" had orchestrated other plans. As it turns out, the financial gain from being a Wildcat may be more lucrative than the other options that made themselves apparent while Onyenso was portaling. 

Onyenso was a 4-star prospect coming out Putnam Science Academy (Conn.) and was the No. 36 player in the 2022 class, per 247Sports Composite. He reclassified from the 2023 class and appeared in 16 games as a true freshman for the Wildcats this season, averaging 6.9 minutes a game. He totaled only 18 combined minutes in all of SEC play, playing sparse backup minutes behind Oscar Tshiebwe and Lance Ware. He averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds a game.

“He’s behind some pretty good players, but at the end of the day, my guess is he’ll be, if not the best, one of the best big guys in the country next year,” UK head coach John Calipari previously said of the near-7-footer.

While the final decisions of fellow forwards Oscar Tshiebwe, Lance Ware and Daimion Collins are yet to be announced, Onyenso has made his plans clear. He'll return to a roster that is featuring five new freshmen, one of whom is 7-footer Aaron Bradshaw. Calipari had previously mentioned the idea of playing multiple bigs of that stature out on the floor together next season. 

Onyenso was clearly originally a part of those plans, and while it seemed as though those plans were going out of the window for a few days, they can now be brought back into play as the Wildcats' 2023-24 roster tries to begin taking shape. 

Pros and Cons of Tshiebwe Returning for a Third Season at Kentucky

More on the soon-to-be Wildcats HERE.

Inside Kentucky basketball's somber locker room after NCAA Tourney defeat HERE.

More on the potential roster overhaul in Lexington HERE.

More on the loss to Kansas State HERE.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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