Udoka Azubuike will return to Kansas for his senior season, head head coach Bill Self announced Monday.
“We’re all very excited about Udoka making the decision not to enter the (NBA) draft,” Self said. “Unfortunately for him, injury is the reason as he still cannot participate what would be the NBA combine or workouts for the NBA teams. We really anticipated that this would be the year he would enter the draft but that was also based on him having an injury-free year.”
Azubuike saw action in nine games in 2018-19, averaging 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest, before a season-ending wrist injury. The 7-foot-0, 270-pound, Delta, Nigeria, junior center was named a candidate for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award prior to the start of the season and was also on the preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention list.
“Udoka knows that he still has some unfinished work left in college and at the University of Kansas and he has let us know that he is very excited about the potential for next year’s team and the role in which he would have,” Self said. “I am sad he got hurt but happy for our program because if things fall the way that we think they could potentially fall, this is a big piece to anchor what could be a real fun year next season.”
As a sophomore, Azubuike led NCAA Division I in field goal percentage at 77.0, which ranks second best for a season in NCAA history and set the Kansas and Big 12 single-season records. A two-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, Azubuike averaged 13.0 points and 7.0 rebounds his sophomore year in earning All-Big 12 Third Team honors.
Three Kansas players have declared for the NBA Draft in junior forward Dedric Lawson and freshman guards Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes. Sophomore guards Charlie Moore and K.J. Lawson will transfer.
KU currently has two commits in the 2019 class with four-stars Issac McBride and Christian Braun. They are also in the running for McDonald’s All-American Precious Achiuwa.
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