Udoka Azubuike to return to Kansas

Udoka Azubuike will be back in Lawrence for a senior season, per an announcement from the KU athletic department today. The 7 foot center had his junior year cut short last season when a wrist injury ended his season in January. His freshman year ended much the same way after just nine games in 2017.

Azubuike is not a great fit at center in the modern NBA, which likely factored into his reasons for staying. Between that, his injury history, and his inability to go through a full NBA team workout while his wrist recovers, were all factors making a decision to go pro a bit of a dice roll.

This off-season, Kansas has already seen the departures of Lagerald Vick (senior/leave of absence), Dedric Lawson (draft), KJ Lawson (transfer), Quentin Grimes (draft), and Charlie Moore (transfer). Devon Dotson is also testing the NBA waters, but seems likely to return. The return of Azubuike helps give the team an experienced anchor going into next year, and greatly improves the outlook as the 2019-20 roster continues to take shape.