Ernest Udeh Jr.
American basketball player (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ernest Maduabuchi Udeh Jr. (born January 8, 2004) is an American basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, TCU Horned Frogs and Miami Hurricanes.
Udeh in 2022 | |
| No. 39 – Cleveland Cavaliers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 8, 2004 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 266 lb (121 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Florida) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2026: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2026–present |
| Career history | |
| 2026–present | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2026–present | →Cleveland Charge |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life and high school career
Udeh grew up in Orlando, Florida and attended Dr. Phillips High School.[1] He averaged 10.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game as a junior as Dr. Phillips won the Class 7A state championship.[2] Udeh averaged 13.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during his senior season.[3] He played in the 2022 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.[4]
Recruiting
Udeh was considered a five-star recruit by ESPN and a four-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals. On October 20, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for Kansas over offers from UCLA, Alabama, Arkansas, and Baylor.[5][6]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest Udeh Jr. C |
Orlando, FL | Dr. Phillips (FL) | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Oct 20, 2021 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN:  (90) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 35 247Sports: 32 ESPN: 24 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
Udeh enrolled at Kansas shortly after graduating high school and took part in the Jayhawks' summer practices.[7] He made his college debut in Kansas's season opener against Omaha and scored five points with five rebounds and one block in over 14 minutes.[8]
On May 31, 2023, Udeh committed to TCU.[9] As a junior, he averaged 6.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Following the season he transferred to Miami.[10] Udeh averaged 6.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks per game and was named to the All-ACC Defensive Team.[11]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2026 NBA draft, Udeh signed a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 1, 2026.[11]
Career statistics
| 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 |
