Basketball player Ze’Rik Onyema has been signed by The University of Texas to play in the upcoming 2023-24 season, as announced by head coach Rodney Terry on Wednesday. Onyema, who previously played at UTEP for three years, will join the Longhorns with two seasons of eligibility left.
Onyema, a forward standing at 6’8″ and weighing 230 pounds, has a track record of 61 career games (32 of which were starts) at UTEP, amassing a total of 285 points (averaging 4.7 points per game) and 184 rebounds (averaging 3.0 rebounds per game) in 872 minutes of play (14.3 minutes per game). He maintained a shooting accuracy of 57.4% (120 out of 209 attempts) during his time at UTEP.
Onyema had a noteworthy redshirt sophomore season in 2022-23, where he participated in all 32 games (31 as a starter), tying for the team lead in blocked shots (16) and ranking second in rebounds (4.4 per game) and sixth in scoring (7.1 points per game) while playing 20.1 minutes per game. He was also the top player in terms of shooting accuracy at 55.4% (92 out of 166 attempts) and scored in double digits 12 times. He achieved two double-doubles, which included a 10-point, 10-rebound game against Alcorn State and an 11-point, 11-rebound game at Florida Atlantic. His career-best performance was scoring 19 points in 31 minutes at FIU.
During his redshirt freshman season in 2021-22, Onyema played in 24 out of 34 possible games, helping UTEP achieve a 20-14 record and reach the second round of the Basketball Classic. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game and had a shooting accuracy of 65.7% for the year. He played in five games in his freshman season in 2020-21, but was granted a redshirt year.
Onyema, originally from El Paso, moved to San Antonio with his family before starting high school. He played at John Jay High School where he led his team in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots during his senior year in 2019-20, earning first-team All-District 28-6A and Academic All-State accolades. He recorded 20 double-doubles and had a shooting accuracy of 62.0% during his senior season. His standout performance included scoring 22 points and 20 rebounds against San Antonio Taft High School in his senior year.
