Ugonna Onyenso was caught off guard. He looked around his table with a pure look of confusion after hearing his name called on Wednesday night.
Moments later, the reality started to sink in as he stood on stage next to NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum. The former Putnam Science and Team New England standout is an NBA draft pick. He was selected with the 53rd pick in the second round, and will be heading to the Detroit Pistons after the New York Knicks traded his draft rights.
“I’m really surprised,” Onyenso said in his draft press conference. “I wasn’t expecting that call. Being in this situation, it’s amazing, especially coming from Africa, where basketball is not really the main priority. Being able to set a goal for myself and achieving that goal, it’s an amazing thing. The NBA Academy is one of the reasons that I am who I am mentally. Being able to stay in the program when COVID hit, you couldn’t do (anything) but stay in your room basically and do nothing, but it’s all about the mental and I feel like the NBA Academy really helped me and training myself mentally.”
A native of Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, Onyenso played three years at the NBA Academy Africa program based in Senegal and joined coach Tom Espinosa’s Putnam Science program in January 2020. He averaged 11.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game as he helped the 38-0 Mustangs win the national prep championship. A four-star recruit, the 7-foot Onyenso started his college career at Kentucky before stops at Kansas State and Virginia.
