Udoka Azubuike
No. 27 – Phoenix Suns | |
---|---|
Position | Center / power forward |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | Lagos, Nigeria | September 17, 1999
Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
Listed weight | 270 lb (122 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Potter's House Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Florida) |
College | Kansas (2016–2020) |
NBA draft | 2020: 1st round, 27th overall pick |
Selected by the Utah Jazz | |
Playing career | 2020–present |
Career history | |
2020–2023 | Utah Jazz |
2021–2022 | →Salt Lake City Stars |
2023–present | Phoenix Suns |
2024–present | →Valley Suns |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Udoka Timothy Azubuike (/juːˈdoʊkə ˌæzəˈbuːki/ yoo-DOH-kə AZ-ə-BOO-kee;[1] born September 17, 1999) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Valley Suns of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and was selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.
Early life[edit]
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Azubuike was the youngest of 5, with two older brothers and two older sisters.[2] His father, Fabian, was a police officer, and his mother, Florence, was a middle school teacher.[3] Azubuike lost his father to an undiagnosed disease at the age of 10.[3] In 2012, he caught the attention of recruiters with Basketball Without Borders and was offered a scholarship to play basketball in the United States.[3]
High school career[edit]
Azubuike attended Potter's House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. His then assistant coach Harry Coxsome and his wife Donna took care of him and soon became his legal guardians.[3] In his first high school game he was matched up against fellow future Kansas Jayhawk Joel Embiid.[3] Azubuike was a four-year starter averaging 16.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game his senior year.[4]
Azubuike played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Georgia Stars in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL).[5] He was selected to play in the 2016 McDonald's All-American Boys Game,[6] Jordan Brand Classic,[7] and Nike Hoop Summit.[8] He was also a member of the National Honor Society.[3]
Azubuike was rated as a five-star recruit and considered a top-20 prospect in the 2016 high school class.[9][10][11] Rivals.com ranked him as the 27th-best overall player[12] while ESPN ranked him 22nd overall in the class of 2016.[13][14] Azubuike received offers from many universities including Duke, Texas, Kentucky, and shortened his final list of colleges to Florida State, Kansas, and North Carolina.[4] On January 28, 2016, he announced his choice to play college basketball at the University of Kansas.[15]
College career[edit]
Freshman year[edit]
In his freshman season he started in six of the 11 games he played in before tearing ligaments in his left wrist, which ended his season.[16] Before the injury, he averaged 5.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 62.9% field goal accuracy.
Sophomore year[edit]
For the 2017–18 season, Kansas' coach Bill Self recruited Kansas football player James Sosinski to defend Azubuike during practice.[17] Udoka started every game of the regular season but missed the Big 12 Conference tournament after spraining his left MCL.[18] He returned for the NCAA tournament until KU's loss to eventual champion Villanova in the Final Four.[19] He averaged 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and led the nation with a 77% field goal percentage for the season.[20] His field goal percentage broke the single-season record for Kansas and the Big 12 Conference.[21] This high percentage was in part due to the majority of his field goals being slam dunks, which typically have a higher completion percentage than jump shots or layups. He had more dunks than any other college player going back to the 2009–2010 season.[22] He was awarded All-Big 12 third team by the conference's coaches[23] and second team by the AP.[24]
On April 20, 2018, Azubuike announced his intention to enter the 2018 NBA draft. He did not initially hire an agent, which would allow him to return before the combine.[25] Azubuike was one of a record-high 69 prospects invited to the NBA Draft Combine that year. On May 17, he measured out to be a near-7-foot-tall center (with shoes on) weighing in at 274 pounds (124 kg) and holding the second-longest wingspan at 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 m), behind only Mohamed Bamba.[26] On May 30, 2018, he announced his intent to withdraw from the draft and return to Kansas for his junior season.[27]
Junior year[edit]
Azubuike was selected as an honorable mention to the 2018–19 All-Big 12 preseason team.[28] On December 4, 2018, he severely sprained his right ankle against Wofford and missed the following four games.[29] On January 5, 2019, Azubuike injured his wrist during practice.[30] An MRI revealed he tore a ligament in his right hand,[31] and he underwent season-ending surgery on January 9, 2019.[32]
Kansas won all nine games Azubuike played including against top-ten teams Tennessee and Michigan State. He finished the season averaging 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds.[33]
On April 22, 2019, Azubuike announced he would return to Kansas for his senior season.[34] According to KU coach Bill Self, “We’re all very excited about Udoka making the decision not to enter the [NBA] draft. Unfortunately for him, injury is the reason as he still cannot participate (at) what would be the NBA combine or workouts for the NBA teams."[35]
Senior year[edit]
Azubuike scored a career-high 29 points in a 90–84 overtime win over Dayton on November 27, 2019.[36] On February 22, 2020, he scored 23 points and had a career-high 19 rebounds in a 64–61 win over top-ranked Baylor.[37]
At the conclusion of the regular season, Azubuike was named the Big 12 Player of the Year[38] and NABC Defensive Player of the Year.[39] He averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game as a senior.[40] Azubuike's career field goal percentage of 74.9% is an NCAA record.[41]
Professional career[edit]
Utah Jazz (2020–2023)[edit]
Azubuike was selected with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.[42] On November 24, 2020, the Jazz announced that they had signed Azubuike.[43] Azubuike was assigned to the Jazz's NBA G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, for the start of the 2021 G League season, making his G League debut on February 10, 2021. He made his NBA playoff debut on June 14 in game 4 of the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals, recording a rebound in a minute and nine seconds of action in a 118–104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[44]
On March 25, 2022, Azubuike underwent right foot surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the 2021–22 season.[45]
Phoenix Suns (2023–present)[edit]
On August 8, 2023, Azubuike signed a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns.[46][47] He made his team debut on October 28 by putting up 2 points and 3 rebounds during 6 minutes of action in a 126–104 win over his former team, the Utah Jazz. On December 20, Azubuike recorded his first double-double with the Suns with 11 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in a 120–105 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Career statistics[edit]
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA[edit]
Regular season[edit]
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020–21 | Utah | 15 | 0 | 3.8 | .444 | – | .800 | .9 | .0 | .1 | .3 | 1.1 |
2021–22 | Utah | 17 | 6 | 11.5 | .755 | – | .545 | 4.2 | .0 | .1 | .6 | 4.7 |
2022–23 | Utah | 36 | 4 | 10.0 | .819 | – | .350 | 3.3 | .3 | .2 | .4 | 3.5 |
2023–24 | Phoenix | 16 | 0 | 7.1 | .696 | – | .231 | 2.0 | .2 | .1 | .4 | 2.2 |
Career | 84 | 10 | 8.6 | .758 | – | .444 | 2.8 | .2 | .1 | .4 | 3.0 |
Playoffs[edit]
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Utah | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | – | – | – | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
Career | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | – | – | – | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
College[edit]
* | Led NCAA Division I |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016–17 | Kansas | 11 | 6 | 12.9 | .629 | – | .380 | 4.1 | .2 | .2 | 1.6 | 5.0 |
2017–18 | Kansas | 36 | 34 | 23.6 | .770* | – | .413 | 7.0 | .7 | .6 | 1.7 | 13.0 |
2018–19 | Kansas | 9 | 9 | 20.4 | .705 | – | .344 | 6.8 | .6 | .4 | 1.6 | 13.4 |
2019–20 | Kansas | 31 | 30 | 27.7 | .748* | – | .441 | 10.5 | .9 | .5 | 2.6 | 13.7 |
Career | 87 | 79 | 23.4 | .746 | – | .416 | 7.9 | .7 | .5 | 2.0 | 12.3 |
References[edit]
- ^ "2023-24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide" (Press release). National Basketball Association. October 24, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ Kussoy, Howard (March 29, 2018). "Kansas star will get amazing Final Four moment: Seeing Mom". New York Post.
- ^ a b c d e f King, Jason (March 30, 2018). "Think Reaching the Final 4 Is Tough? Then You Haven't Met Kansas' Udoka Azubuike". Bleacher Report.
- ^ a b Potter’s House hoops star Udoka Azubuike commits to Kansas
- ^ "Five-star UK target Azubuike a menace to rims". usatodayhss.com. USA Today. April 26, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Josh Jackson and Udoka Azubuike impress at McDonald's All-American Game
- ^ Udoka Azubuike honored at first stop of the Jordan Brand Classic Senior Night Tour
- ^ Kansas commit Udoka Azubuike added to World Select Team at Nike Hoop Summit
- ^ "Class of 2016 ESPN 100". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "2016 Top Basketball Recruits". 247Sports. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "USA Today High School Sports Class of 2016 Composite Basketball Recruiting Rankings". USA Today High School Sports. November 9, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Five-star basketball recruit Udoka Azubuike picks Kansas
- ^ "Udoka Azubuike ESPN Recruiting Profile". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Udoka Azubuike, 2016 Center". Rivals. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
- ^ Four-star center Udoka Azubuike commits to Kansas
- ^ KU freshman Udoka Azubuike out for the season with wrist injury
- ^ Reiss, Aaron (March 29, 2018). "'Pushing and shoving' Doke is this KU walk-on's job. He has bruises to prove it". Kansas City Star.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (March 7, 2018). "Udoka Azubuike out for Big 12 Tournament, KU hopeful he can return for NCAAs". Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Adelson, Andrea (March 30, 2018). "Nigeria approves Udoka Azubuike's mother's visa to travel to USA". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ "Udoka Azubuike". Sports-Reference.com.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (March 29, 2018). "A former KU center analyzes the game of Jayhawks big man Udoka Azubuike". Kansas City Star.
- ^ Newell, Jesse (April 24, 2018). "This decade, no player has done what KU's Udoka Azubuike just did". Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ Newell, Jesse (March 4, 2018). "Devonté Graham, Bill Self take home coaches' All-Big 12 basketball awards". Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Newell, Jesse (March 6, 2018). "Devonté Graham, Bill Self win AP All-Big 12 awards". Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Medcalf, Myron (April 20, 2018). "Kansas' Udoka Azubuike entering draft without agent". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Draft Combine Anthrometric".
- ^ Newell, Jesse (May 30, 2018). "Udoka Azubuike withdraws from NBA Draft. Here's what his return means for KU". KansasCity.com. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Newell, Jesse (October 17, 2018). "K-State, KU well represented on All-Big team". Kansas City Star.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (December 27, 2018). "Azubuike now '60, 70 percent'". Kansas City Star.
- ^ Medcalf, Myron (January 5, 2019). "Jayhawks sit out Udoka Azubuike due to wrist injury". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ West, Jenna (January 6, 2019). "Kansas' Udoka Azubuike to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery on Right Hand". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Tait, Matt (January 9, 2019). "Self: Doc says Azubuike's surgery 'couldn't have gone any better'". KU Sports.com.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (January 7, 2019). "KU Coach Bill Self Laments Loss of Azubuike". Kansas City Star.
- ^ "Udoka Azubuike to return for senior season". KUAthletics.com.
- ^ 7-foot center Udoka Azubuike returning to KU for senior season, Wichita Eagle, Gary Bedore, April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
- ^ "No. 4 Kansas beats Dayton 90-84 in overtime for Maui title". ESPN. Associated Press. November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
- ^ "Kansas snaps Baylor's Big 12-record win streak". ESPN. February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ "Men's Basketball All-Big 12 Awards Announced" (Press release). March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (March 30, 2020). "Udoka Azubuike named defensive player of the year by NABC". kansascity.com. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020.
- ^ Dauster, Rob (March 10, 2020). "NBC Sports College Basketball All-American Teams". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ Dok All-Time NCAA Leader in Field-Goal Percentage; KU Athletics; 3 February 2020.
- ^ Walden, Eric (November 18, 2020). "Utah Jazz take Kansas center Udoka Azubuike at No. 27, trade center Tony Bradley and 38th pick to Pistons". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ Chunga, JP (November 24, 2020). "Jazz sign Azubuike and Hughes". NBA.com. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ^ https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/202106140LAC.html
- ^ Treasure, Angie (March 25, 2022). "Udoka Azubuike Injury Update". NBA.com. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ Gauruder, Dana (August 8, 2023). "Suns Sign Udoka Azubuike To Two-Way Deal". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Suns Sign Udoka Azubuike". NBA.com. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
External links[edit]
- 1999 births
- Living people
- All-American college men's basketball players
- Basketball players from Jacksonville, Florida
- Basketball players from Lagos
- Centers (basketball)
- Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball players
- McDonald's High School All-Americans
- Nigerian expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Nigerian men's basketball players
- Phoenix Suns players
- Salt Lake City Stars players
- Utah Jazz draft picks
- Utah Jazz players