Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso proved that basketball is about more than points during the Cavaliers’ 70-66 win over Ohio State on Saturday. Instead, Onyenso’s defense stood out during the Nashville Hoops Showdown.
His elite rim protection, highlighted by four blocked shots, caught the eye of FOX Sports play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson, earning him a spot on Johnson’s “GOT IT” team.
“I’m one of the best shot blockers in the country,” Onyenso told Johnson. “They’re going to do what they can do, you know, to avoid my blocked shots, but I’m still gonna do me.”
Despite coming off the bench, Onyenso left his mark on Saturday’s game. With 6:09 remaining, Onyenso made a put-back layup to give Virginia a two-point lead, then blocked Christoph Tilly’s attempt on the other side. With 31 seconds left, Onyenso swatted Bruce Thornton’s shot to keep the Cavaliers’ lead at three.
“The big fella put in major work,” Johnson said of Onyenso. “Eight points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots. You guys have now won six straight basketball games. You’re coming together as a team.”
With this Virginia team, it’s common for a reserve to be the most valuable player in any given game. The Cavaliers are deep and cycle through their rotation, relying on numerous players to contribute. There’s no star player, per se, but stars in their roles.
“I’m really excited about my team right now,” Onyenso said. “Like, in tough situations, it all depends on how connected we are. We are a pretty connected team, and it is showing on the court.”
On Saturday, the Cavaliers went 10 deep with just one player — guard Dallin Hall — surpassing the 30-minute mark.
Virginia was a four-seed in FOX Sports’ Mike DeCourcy’s latest bracket projection, a huge improvement after missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in two years in 2025.
A neutral-site win against a nonconference opponent this deep in the season will bolster the Cavaliers’ resume.
No. 15 Virginia Cavaliers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Highlights 🏀 FOX College Hoops
In the second year since legendary coach Tony Bennett retired, Ryan Odom has Virginia at 22-3 and humming along because he was able to quickly rebuild the team around transfers such as Onyenso.
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