EJ Onu

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = EJ Onu

| image = 2024-04-21 ALBA Berlin gegen Bamberg Baskets (Basketball-Bundesliga 2023-24) by Sandro Halank–043.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = EJ Onu in 2024

| position = Power forward / center

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 11

| weight_lbs = 240

| league = PLK

| team = Legia Warsaw

| number = 35

| nationality = American

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|7|31}}

| birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio

| high_school = Richmond Heights
(Richmond Heights, Ohio)

| college = Shawnee State (2017–2021)

| draftyear = 2021

| career_start = 2021

| years1 = 2021–2022

| team1 = Texas Legends

| years2 = 2022

| team2 = Memphis Hustle

| years3 = 2022

| team3 = Niagara River Lions

| years4 = 2022–2023

| team4 = Memphis Hustle

| years5 = 2023

| team5 = Santa Cruz Warriors

| years6 = 2023

| team6 = Niagara River Lions

| years7 = 2023–2024

| team7 = Brose Bamberg

| years8 = 2024

| team8 = Río Breogán

| years9 = 2025–present

| team9 = Legia Warsaw

| highlights =

PLK champion (2025)
CEBL Defensive Player of the Year (2022)
2× CEBL blocks leader (2022, 2023)
NAIA champion (2021)
First-team NAIA All-American (2021)
MSC Player of the Year (2021)
2× First-team All-MSC (2020, 2021)
Second-team All-MSC (2019)
3× MSC Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2020, 2021)
MSC Freshman of the Year (2018)

}}

Ejiofor Johnson Onu{{cite web |title=EJ Onu |url=https://www.acb.com/jugador/temporada-a-temporada/id/30003412 |website=ACB.COM |access-date=28 May 2025}} (born July 31, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for Legia Warsaw of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). He played college basketball for the Shawnee State Bears.

Early life

Born to Nigerian parents, Ejiofor Onu grew up near Cleveland, Ohio. He started playing basketball at age 14 and stood under {{height|ft=6|in=3}} as a high school freshman.{{cite web |last1=Chepkevich |first1=Jon |title=The Draft Files: Why EJ Onu Could Be the NAIA's Sleeping Giant |url=https://theanalyst.com/na/2021/05/ej-onu-2021-nba-draft-prospect-profile/ |website=The Analyst |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=May 27, 2021}} Onu played for Richmond Heights High School in Richmond Heights, Ohio, earning Division IV All-Northeast Lake District honors from the Associated Press. He also ran track in high school.{{cite web |title=EJ the Eraser |url=https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/sports/45336/ej-the-eraser |website=Portsmouth Daily Times |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=January 20, 2020}}

College career

During his freshman season at Shawnee State, Onu set a program single-game record with 11 blocks against the University of the Cumberlands. As a freshman, he averaged 9.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and a nation-leading 3.4 blocks per game, earning Mid-South Conference (MSC) Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.{{cite web |title=One-on-one: EJ Onu |url=http://www.ssubears.com/article/4362.php |website=Shawnee State University |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=December 9, 2020}} He set a program single-season record for blocks.{{cite web |last1=Colley |first1=Kevin |title=Onu you didn't! |url=https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/sports/23715/onu-you-didnt |website=Portsmouth Daily Times |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=January 28, 2018}} In his sophomore season, he averaged 12 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Onu was selected to the Second Team All-MSC.

As a junior, Onu averaged 11.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and a nation-leading 5.7 blocks per game. He was an Honorable Mention National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American, First Team All-MSC and MSC Defensive Player of the Year.{{cite web |title=SSU MBB picked for 4th in MSC poll |url=https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/sports/54062/ssu-mbb-picked-for-4th-in-msc-poll |website=Portsmouth Daily Times |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=October 16, 2020}} As a senior, Onu averaged 16.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game, earning First Team NAIA All-American, MSC Player of the Year and First Team All-MSC honors.{{cite web |last1=Givony |first1=Jonathan |title=Two-time NAIA All-American EJ Onu to explore transfer market |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31365294/two-naia-all-american-ej-onu-explore-transfer-market |publisher=ESPN |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=April 30, 2021}} For a third time, he was named MSC Defensive Player of the Year and led the nation in blocks. Onu became Shawnee State's all-time leader in blocks while ranking third in points and rebounds.{{cite web |title=SSU's Onu, Jones named NAIA All-Americans |url=https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/sports/59988/ssus-onu-jones-named-naia-all-americans |website=Portsmouth Daily Times |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=March 27, 2021}} He helped his team win an NAIA national championship.{{cite web |last1=Quinn |first1=Justin |title=Celtics reportedly working out E.J. Onu, potential sleeper stretch big man |url=https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/08/celtics-reportedly-working-out-ej-onu-potential-sleeper-stretch-big-man/ |website=Celtics Wire |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=June 8, 2021}} After the season, Onu declared for the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal.{{cite web |last1=Schumann |first1=Mike |title=Transfer portal names to know: NAIA All-American EJ Onu |url=https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/transfer-portal-names-to-know-naia-all-american-ej-onu/ |website=The Daily Hoosier |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=April 30, 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Foinon |first1=Julien |title="Zooming On" : EJ Onu (Shawnee State), de la NAIA à… la NBA ? |url=http://midnightoncampus.com/basketball/zooming-on-ej-onu-shawnee-state-de-naia-a-nba-2021/ |website=Midnight on Campus |access-date=June 15, 2021 |language=French |date=May 17, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Shawnee State's Onu To Enter NBA Draft, Keep Eligibility Open |url=https://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip/news/shawnee-states-onu-to-enter-nba-draft-keep-eligibility-open.htm |website=Victory Sports Network |access-date=June 15, 2021 |date=April 9, 2021}} On July 6, 2021, he announced that he was remaining in the draft.{{cite web |title=Shawnee State's Onu to keep name in NBA Draft |url=https://highlandcountypress.com/Content/Sports/Sports/Article/Shawnee-State-s-Onu-to-keep-name-in-NBA-Draft/3/21/69857 |website=The Highland County Press |access-date=July 21, 2021 |date=July 6, 2021}}

Professional career

=Texas Legends (2021–2022)=

After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Onu joined the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA Summer League.{{cite magazine|first=Mike|last=Fisher|title=LOOK: Dallas Mavs Release NBA Summer League Roster & Schedule|url=https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/look-dallas-mavs-release-nba-summer-league-roster-schedule|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=August 2, 2021|access-date=August 22, 2021}} On August 21, 2021, the Mavericks announced that they had signed Onu,{{cite web|title=Mavericks finalize training camp roster with three signees|url=https://www.mavs.com/camp-signees/|website=mavs.com|date=August 23, 2021|access-date=August 23, 2021}} but was waived by the on September 4.{{cite web|title=Mavericks add two-way player McLaughlin|url=https://www.mavs.com/new-player/|website=mavs.com|date=September 4, 2021|access-date=September 4, 2021}} He returned to Dallas on October 15, 2021, but was waived a day later.{{cite web|title=Mavericks add two familiar faces|url=https://www.mavs.com/odd-additions/|website=Mavs.com|date=October 15, 2021|access-date=October 15, 2021}} On October 23, he signed with the Texas Legends as an affiliate player.{{cite web|title=Legends Draft Three, Announce Training Camp Roster|url=https://texas.gleague.nba.com/news/legends-draft-three-announce-training-camp-roster/|website=NBA.com|date=October 23, 2021|access-date=October 23, 2021}} Onu was then later waived by the Legends on January 13, 2022.{{cite web|title=2021-22 NBA G League Transactions|url=https://gleague.nba.com/transactions/|website=NBA.com|access-date=January 14, 2022}}

=Memphis Hustle (2022)=

On January 14, 2022, Onu was acquired via available player pool by the Memphis Hustle. In 25 games, he averaged 5.96 points and 3.72 rebounds.{{cite web|title=River Lions Sign American EJ Onu|url=https://www.cebl.ca/river-lions-sign-ej-onu|website=CEBL.ca|date=April 5, 2022|access-date=April 5, 2022}}

=Niagara River Lions (2022)=

On April 5, 2022, Onu signed with the Niagara River Lions of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. He was named the CEBL Defensive Player of the Year after averaging a league record 3.3 blocks per game, establishing Niagara as one of the best defensive teams in the league.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-11 |title=2022 CEBL Award Winners Announced at Championship Weekend |url=https://www.cebl.ca/2022-cebl-award-winners-announced-at-championship-weekend |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=www.cebl.ca |language=en}}

=Return to Memphis (2022–2023)=

Onu joined the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2022 NBA Summer League.{{Cite web |title=Memphis Grizzlies 2022 NBA2K23 Summer League Roster |url=https://www.nba.com/summer-league/2022/vegas/team/1610612763/grizzlies |access-date=July 5, 2022 |website=NBA.com}} On November 4, 2022, Onu was named to the opening night roster for the Memphis Hustle.{{cite web|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/memphis-hustle-announce-roster-moves-finalize-opening-night-roster/n-5895741|title=Memphis Hustle Announce Roster Moves; Finalize Opening Night Roster|website=oursportscentral.com|date=November 4, 2022|access-date=November 4, 2022}}

=Santa Cruz Warriors (2023)=

On January 22, 2023, Onu was traded to the Santa Cruz Warriors in exchange for Tremont Waters.{{cite web|url=https://gleague.nba.com/22-23-nba-g-league-transactions|website=gleague.nba.com|title=2022-23 NBA G League Transactions|date=January 22, 2023|access-date=January 22, 2023}}

=Return to the Niagara River Lions (2023)=

On April 4, 2023, Onu returned to the Niagara River Lions.{{cite web|title=River Lions Re-Sign 2022 CEBL Defensive Player of the Year, EJ Onu|url=https://www.cebl.ca/river-lions-re-sign-2022-cebl-defensive-player-of-the-year-ej-onu|website=CEBL.com|date=April 4, 2023|access-date=April 7, 2023}}

=Brose Bamberg (2023–2024)=

On July 14, 2023, Onu signed with Brose Bamberg of the easyCredit BBL.{{cite web|title=BAMBERG BASKETS VERPFLICHTEN EJIOFOR "EJ" ONU|url=https://bamberg.basketball/bamberg-baskets-verpflichten-ejiofor-ej-onu/|website=Bamberg.basketball|date=July 14, 2023|access-date=August 12, 2023|language=German}}

=Río Breogán (2024–2025)=

On June 29, 2024, he signed with Río Breogán of the Liga ACB.{{Cite web|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/rio-breogan-signs-ej-onu/|title=Rio Breogan signs EJ Onu|last=|first=|date=June 29, 2024|website=|publisher=Sportando|language=En|access-date=June 30, 2024}} On January 1, 2025, it was announced that Onu and Breogán ended their cooperation.[https://www.mundodeportivo.com/baloncesto/acb/20250101/1002379441/pivot-ej-onu-rescinde-contrato-breogan.html The pivot EJ Onu terminates his contract with Breogán]

===Legia Warsaw (2025–present)===

Onu signed a contract with Legia Warsaw of the Polish Basketball League (PLK).[https://legiakosz.com/posts/ej-onu-nowym-zawodnikiem-legii/11909 E.J. Onu nowym zawodnikiem Legii]