UVA center Ugonna Onyenso became the first Virginia basketball player to be drafted since Ryan Dunn in 2024, and the Detroit Pistons got an incredibly gifted player both on and off the court. "Ugo" is such a humble, respectful person when you talk to him in the locker room, but he's an absolute monster on the floor.
The 6'11", 240-pound behemoth was one of the best defenders in all of college basketball in 2025/2026, and his ability to consistently block shots is his most impressive attribute heading into the NBA.
Ugo blocked a whopping 126 shots last season for the Cavaliers as a part-time/rotational player. For comparison, Anthony Davis was touted as one of the top shot-blockers in modern history after totaling 186 blocks in 2011/2012. Yes, that's obviously impressive, but he did that as a full-time player, averaging 32 MPG in 40 starts. Onyenso got to 126 while playing only 18 MPG and with 0 starts.
Needless to say, Onyenso would've undoubtedly blown Davis' number out of the water had he been more involved in the game plan last year. He's only a "backup center", but I don't think fans realize how absolutely dominant he is on defense.
The only reason he wasn't seen as a top-notch prospect is because of his underwhelming offensive game, but for what he is, he doesn't really have to affect the game in that department. All Ugo has to do is rim-run, be effective on pick-and-rolls, and be a high-percentage finisher inside the paint on offense.
For Detroit, he'll most likely come in and be the top depth option behind Jalen Duren (who's a free agent after the 2026/2027 season), especially now since the Pistons traded Isaiah Stewart last night as well.
One of Onyenso's most underrated attributes is his overall movement ability. He covers a lot of ground and is fairly light on his feet for being around 240 pounds, which allows him to recover at a fairly high rate when ball-handlers perform shot and ball fakes.
There's a very good chance that Detroit views him as someone who could've been taken at the end of round one, and treats him that way heading into the 2026/2027 season.
Onyenso could be in line to see lots of playing time as a rookie, with the potential to even earn some starts next to Duren in specific matchups against teams with a strong PF/C duo.
It's going to be intersting to see if the Pistons bring in another big man this offseason because as of right now, Ugo is the only player on the roster who could see legitimate minutes on the interior behind Duren. Tobias Harris could rotate inside, but Paul Reed is the only other 4/5-type player on the roster.
Regardless, Detroit fans are going to fall in love with Ugonna Onyenso this year, and he'll end up becoming a household name sooner rather than later in the Motor City.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginia as Detroit Pistons fans are going to love Ugonna Onyenso, and here's why .
