Ugonna Onyenso is grateful for this season. And he’ll be back for Kentucky’s next one.

Let’s just go ahead and get this part out of the way.

Ugonna Onyenso will not be a one-and-done player at Kentucky.

In an interview with the Herald-Leader over the weekend, Onyenso — a little-used 7-footer on this season’s UK team — left no doubt about his plans for the future.

“I’ll be back here next season,” he said.

The tone of that declaration was definitive. Onyenso hasn’t played much in his freshman year with the Wildcats, but he didn’t expect to. When the promising teenager from Nigeria committed to Kentucky and reclassified up last summer, there was talk of him spending his first year on UK’s campus as a redshirt.

A preseason injury to Oscar Tshiebwe — and Onyenso showing in the fall that he was a little further along than even Kentucky’s coaches expected — led to some immediate playing time.

Onyenso logged 20 minutes in UK’s season-opening victory over Howard University. He played 19 minutes four days later in a win over Duquesne. He scored 15 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked seven shots over those two games, raising eyebrows and ratcheting up the expectations for his college basketball future.

It was assumed that when Tshiebwe returned to full health, Onyenso would take a seat. And that assumption proved mostly true. But the flashes the newcomer showed during his brief time on the court — 16 blocks in 110 total minutes, most notably — had his coaches and teammates gushing about the player he could become.

“He’s going to be a really good player,” senior forward Jacob Toppin said. “When he gets the minutes … he’s gonna showcase what he really can do. And it’s special.”

Just how difficult has it been to score over Onyenso in UK’s practices? Toppin grinned.

“It’s hard. It’s hard. He’s very long,” he said. “So you either gotta get into him and try to finish over him, or he’s definitely going to block it. He’s a really good player, and I’m looking forward to see what he can do in the future.”

Onyenso knew year one at Kentucky would be a learning process, and those around the program said he soaked things up like a sponge. John Calipari marveled at how the coaches would have to tell Onyenso something just once, and he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Teammates talked about how — even when Onyenso didn’t block a shot — his mere presence in the paint would have potential scorers thinking differently.

“He’s going to be really good,” said junior forward Lance Ware. “His ability to block shots is — if he’s guarding you, it’s hard to score over him. Seven-foot. Super-long arms. But he just has great timing to block shots, and he’s obviously getting better. As much as anybody else on the team.”

Even though he wasn’t playing at the end of the season — Onyenso made just one appearance in a game after Jan. 21 — the 18-year-old was attentive on the bench, actively cheering on his teammates and studying the action on the court. Even in the postseason, when the UK locker room was opened to reporters, Onyenso closely observed the interview process as media members talked to the Wildcats who were logging more playing time.

Away from the games, Onyenso said he’s been spending much of his practice and individual workout time improving his shooting ability. After playing within the NBA Academy system in Africa and then spending a semester with prep powerhouse Putnam Science Academy (Conn.), Onyenso came to Kentucky with a reputation as a potentially elite shot-blocker and rebounder, but he knew his offensive game would need some work.

When he started practicing with Kentucky, he said he was hitting 47 percent on jump shots during the team’s regular five-minute shooting drills. Now, he’s north of 60 percent, on average.

And even though he hasn’t played much in games, Onyenso practiced every day against guys like Tshiebwe, Ware, Toppin and Daimion Collins — giving him different looks and different ways to learn. Going against Tshiebwe, in particular, has helped Onyenso — officially listed at 6-11 and 225 pounds — become a more physical player.

“It’s a good experience playing against someone like Oscar every day in practice,” he said. “He helps me improve my game. And he also helps me be more physical, because of how strong he is. … I think I’m in pretty good shape now, compared to when I got here. All I’ve been doing is just working on my game — waiting for my time to come.”

He’ll get a much bigger chance to make an impact next season. Tshiebwe is likely to move on from Kentucky, a departure that will leave a major hole in the Wildcats’ frontcourt but one that will also open up more opportunities for Onyenso, incoming freshman center Aaron Bradshaw, and whoever else decides to return to Kentucky — or join the Cats via transfer — next season.

Other freshmen might balk at the lack of playing time. That hasn’t been the case with Onyenso.

“It’s like a dream come true. I’ve been wanting to play for Kentucky,” he said. “And I know I’m not really playing now, but I’m waiting for my time. I understand that I’ve got seniors in front of me. I understand giving them the time to play. At the end of the day, I know that I’m a freshman, and I have to wait for my time to come.”

That time is coming soon enough.

Calipari said recently that he checked in on Onyenso to make sure he was feeling OK about his role and to explain why he wasn’t playing more. No explanation needed. Onyenso told the coach that he had no expectations to play in year one and was happy to do whatever Calipari needed.

“At the end of the day, my guess is he’ll be — if not the best — one of the best big guys in the country next year,” Calipari said.

And comments like that one have not gone unheard.

“That’s a big deal,” Onyenso said. “He said that. And it’s up to me to fulfill that pact by really working hard and getting ready for next year. Now that I’ve seen what it is to play college basketball — I just have to get ready for my own time.”

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