Had former Vanderbilt forward Ben Allen Rubin not committed to the University of North Carolina basketball program last week, the Tar Heels would have been in hot pursuit of Kentucky transfer Ugonna Onienso. But recent rumors suggest they are content with their current roster, even though Hubert Davis and his staff still have the option to offer two more scholarships for the 2024-25 season.
The 7-foot, 245-pound Onienzo opted out of entering the NBA draft early on Wednesday night ahead of the NCAA-mandated deadline for college eligibility but is reportedly 100% recruitable and will have the option to play two more collegiate seasons wherever he goes next.
Per a subsequent post from ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Onienzo “has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will now be focused on determining where he will play his junior season.”
NEWS: Ugonna Oneniso is withdrawing from the 2024 NBA Draft, his agent, Daniel Hazan, told ESPN. The former Kentucky big man has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will now be focused on deciding where he will play his junior season. pic.twitter.com/5IWINOxZ30
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 29, 2024
Aside from the school's admissions requirements and the staff's willingness to enroll Onyenzo at this point, there is no deadline for choosing his next destination.
The 19-year-old Kentucky sophomore averaged 3.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in just 18.8 minutes per game and was third-most in the SEC with 2.8 blocks per game last season.
Meanwhile, the University of North Carolina basketball coaching staff hasn't done as much as many hoped to make up for the frontcourt production lost with the departures of full-time starters Harrison Ingram and Armando Bacot, but the school is still projected to rank in the top 10 or 15 in the 2024-25 class at the start of the season.
Related: UNC out of the top 10 in latest projected rankings
