Who is Ugonna Onyenso? Meet Knicks-turned-Pistons' newest NBA Draft pick, an incredible shot blocker

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Ugonna Onyenso couldn't quite believe it.

The New York Knicks took him with the No. 53 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he appears to have been traded to the Detroit Pistons.

Regardless, it's an awesome moment.

Onyenso is originally from Nigeria, and he developed into one of the best shot blockers in the country.

And on ESPN, he drew some extra smiles by speaking about what this would mean to his mother.

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Who is Ugonna Onyenso?

He's a 7-foot tall, 22-year old center from Nigeria.

He played at Kentucky, then Kansas State, then Virginia.

Most notably, he was second in the country in blocks per game in 2025-26 despite not starting a single game.

He earned himself this spot in the ACC Tournament. 

Onyenso had eight blocks in the quarterfinal against NC State.

He had four blocks in the semifinal against Miami.

And in the ACC final against Miami, Onyenso blocked nine shots in a narrow loss to Duke.

The Pistons liked him enough to trade with the Knicks to get him, and now he's heading to Detroit to try and block shots in the league, too.

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