LEXINGTON — Even before last season ended, John Calipari already was touting the future of the Kentucky frontcourt. Ugonna Onyenso, then a little-used freshman, would be “one of the best, if not the best, big men in the country,” Calipari said during his weekly radio show last March.
In Wednesday night’s overtime tussle with Florida at Rupp Arena, Onyenso put forth his strongest performance to date — showcasing why Calipari had been so complimentary 10 months ago.
Onyenso, who sat out the team’s gold-medal-winning foray at the GLOBL JAM event last summer in Canada, both preseason exhibitions and the first nine games of the 2023-24 campaign with a foot injury before making his debut against North Carolina last month in Atlanta, set career highs for points (13), rebounds (16) and blocks (eight).
But his outstanding outing came in a loss, as No. 8 Kentucky couldn’t hold on to a four-point lead in the final minute of regulation. Florida stormed back to win, 94-91, in overtime.
Onyenso did everything in his power to alter the result.
The 13 points usurped the nine he had last season versus Duquesne. The 16 boards shattered his previous high of 10, which he’d accomplished three times, most recently in UK’s 97-92 overtime loss to Texas A&M on Jan. 13. And the eight blocks surpassed the five rejections he had in the extra-period defeat to the Aggies.
Onyenso’s contributions — in his first start as a collegian, no less — couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for the Wildcats (15-5, 5-3 SEC).
That’s because his fellow frontcourt mates had nights to forget.
Senior Tre Mitchell had only five points (on 2-of-10 shooting) and missed all five 3-pointers he attempted as he posted the game’s worst plus-minus rating (negative-6). Freshman Aaron Bradshaw had only two points and didn’t grab a rebound in nine minutes. And another freshman Zvonimir Ivišić, in just his fourth appearance after a monthslong eligibility saga, had one point (off a free throw) and two rebounds in six minutes off the bench.
Onyenso’s 16 rebounds nearly helped Kentucky fight Florida (15-6, 5-3) to a draw on the boards; the visitors outrebounded the host by two, 50-48.
That UK made the rebounding battle even that close was a gargantuan feat: The Gators entered Wednesday as the No. 1 team in Division I in rebounds per game (44.7) and No. 10 in rebound margin (10 more per outing than their opponents, the second-best figure in the 14-team SEC). Onyenso’s final rebound in regulation nearly was a game-sealing one: He pulled down a miss from teammate Rob Dillingham and put the ball in for two points, extending Kentucky’s lead to four, 83-79, with 37 seconds to play.
But Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. sank the game-tying 3-pointer with five ticks left, and UK couldn’t get off another shot before the second-half buzzer sounded.
Kentucky remains at Rupp for its next game, welcoming border rival Tennessee on Saturday night. Tennessee looks to bounce back after falling at home to South Carolina, 63-59, on Tuesday.
Despite that defeat, the Volunteers will enter Saturday with one of the nation’s best NET rankings, slotting in at No. 5 on Wednesday.
Saturday’s game between the Wildcats and Volunteers is slated to tip off at 8:30 p.m. It will air nationally on ESPN.
This story will be updated.Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Ugonna Onyenso hits career highs in OT defeat
