Ugonna Onyenso averaged three points and three boards per game in three seasons at Kentucky and Kansas State.
One season at UVA under Ryan Odom got his name called in the NBA Draft.
Onyenso was taken with the 53rd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and will be headed to the Detroit Pistons organization.
The seven-footer split time at center with another seven-footer, Johann Grunloh, in his one season at Virginia, and averaged 6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocked shots in 18.6 minutes per game.
The big guy shot 64.7 percent on twos and 27.8 percent from three – with 10 makes on 36 attempts from beyond the arc; he had taken one three total in his previous three seasons in college.
Onyenso blocked an ACC Tournament-record 21 shots in Virginia’s three-game run to the title game – with nine blocks in the 74-70 loss to Duke in the title game.
Those three days down in Charlotte – against three NCAA Tournament teams – went a long way toward getting the attention of NBA front offices.
In addition to averaging seven blocked shots per game, Onyenso put in 10.3 points per game, on 14-of-21 shooting (66.7 percent).
I still foresee him needing to put in a good bit of work to land an NBA roster spot. I would expect him to start the 2026-2027 season in the G League, giving the Pistons a chance to acclimate him to their offensive and defensive philosophies, and get him ready to defend as a big at the NBA level – where he will have to be better in pick-and-roll defense than he was at the college level.
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Chris Graham
