Does Ugonna Kingsley immediately become 2023's top rim protector?

Rim protection will always be valuable in basketball. Three weeks ago, 6-10 junior Ugonna Kingsley arrived at Putnam (CT) Science Academy and instantly became one of the top rim protectors in the 2023 class.

“I am mostly a defensive player,” Kingsley told On3. “What I know how to do best is protect the rim, rebound, and block shots; the offense comes. This season I have gotten better at contesting shots and not fouling. I want to play like Giannis (Antekopouno), he does so much, but he is a defense-first guy.”

Kingsley, who spent the last two and a half years at the NBA Academy Africa, located in Senegal, has also caught the eye of college coaches. “My top offers are Georgetown, Ohio State, Clemson, Providence, and Kansas State,” Kingsley said after performing at the National Prep School Invitational (NPSI).

Since we spoke with Kingsley at the NPSI, he has also picked up offers from Georgia, Syracuse, and Ole Miss. Things are coming quickly for the native of Nigeria; however, for now, he is focusing on basketball.

“I have not really looked into any colleges yet,” Kingsley said. “I am grateful they offered, but I am not focused on college right now. I am just trying to improve my game. Once it is time for me to go to college, I will start looking into them.”

Kingsley’s background

“My mom is like 5-5, and my dad is 5-8,” Kingsley said. “They didn’t play any sports, and they actually didn’t want me to play basketball at first, to focus on school. They let me and I went from Nigeria to Senegal, where I played for the NBA Academy. I was at the NBA Academy for about two and a half years. Here it is cold, so I am going to have to adjust to the weather. The schooling is nice, and I like basketball here a lot.

On3’s take

You immediately see the size, length, and fluidity in the way Ugonna Kingsley moves. The hips are loose, the feet are quick, and the leaping is explosive. On the defensive end, he is a natural. The timing is excellent at the rim and in the passing lanes. He can also fluidly move his feet when he switches onto a perimeter player. His defense is ahead of his offense at this point. At Putnam, they use him a lot from the high-post and elbows as a screener and ball-mover. He has touch but will need to continue developing confidence in the shot. The ball skills and vision will have to continue to tighten, but he runs the floor very well, changing ends at the drop of a time. He finished with double-figure blocks in the second game we watched. The defense is high level.