Meet the Newbies: Amadi Udenyi

The Pepperdine men’s basketball team has seven newcomers on its roster this season. As a result, many freshmen will be asked to step up and contribute for the Waves. As of right now, it seems as if Jeremy Major and Lamond Murray Jr. are close to shoo-ins for a decent amount of playing time this season. The rest could go either way. Here is a look at Amadi Udenyi, a quality player that could figure into the guard rotation this upcoming season.

At De La Salle H.S.

Udenyi, who is originally from Oakland, CA, played three varsity seasons at Northern California powerhouse De La Salle. While at the Concord, CA, school, Udenyi had a combined record of 84-12. As a senior, Udenyi was the EBAL’s MVP, and earned spots on MaxPreps All-State Divison I second team, the San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro first team, and the Contra Costa Times All-East Bay first team. Udenyi averaged 16.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game as a senior.

At St. Thomas More High School

Instead of going straight into the grind that is college basketball, Udenyi decided to play a year of prep ball before entering the Division I ranks. Udenyi attended St. Thomas More High School in Oakdale, CT. However, Udenyi was hurt for the majority of the season and did not play a whole lot for the illustrious New England prep school. Although he did not play in a lot of games last season, Udenyi picked up a scholarship offer from Hofstra University, the school which he originally committed to. When Hofstra fired head coach Mo Cassara in the spring, Udenyi re-opened his recruitment and committed to Pepperdine in the summer.

Impact at Pepperdine

As I alluded to before, the Pepperdine freshmen will be asked to step in and contribute immediately. However, with 7 new players, some of them might be asked to redshirt. Udenyi is definitely a prime subject for this debate. On one hand, Udenyi is a phenomenal defender and great athlete who could contribute immediately. On the other, freshman Jeremy Major and sophomore Austin Mills are in the picture for the starting point guard job more so than Udenyi. Although with a year of prep school under his belt, Udenyi seems ready to play this season. The Pepperdine coaching staff’s plan for Udenyi this season will be something to look out for as the season starts up.