April 23, 2011
Amadi Udenyi is the No. 35 ranked prospect in the NCP 2012 Top 40 as the De La Salle junior led his Spartans to a 27-6 record. The 6-foot, 185 pound point guard averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists while helping De La Salle advance to the California DI championship game.
Udenyi was expected to play big, both mentally and physically on a smaller and younger Spartan team. As a result, the Spartans were not expected to go far during this past year. Udenyi says about the experience, "It was a great learning experience for me as it helped expand my basketball IQ being out matched in most games. You have to rely on your IQ by out smarting and working your opponent. With a coach like Frank Allocco, you have to play smart every possession. Once you learn that, winning follows."
The current schools that are in contact with him include Fresno State, Penn, Princeton, Saint Mary's, San Diego, San Francisco, TCU, and Yale with offers from Penn and Princeton. Udenyi has had some initial thoughts about these schools and their conferences that he is in contact with.
Big East (TCU): Udenyi says, "The Big East is a great conference. You have to perform at a high level every game. The conference play is very physical and unforgiving. All the teams are battle tested by the time they are done with league play."
Ivy League (Penn, Princeton, and Yale): "Great teams with tradition and prestige. Academically, no other conference is as strong and they can hang with the best of the best on the court."
WAC (Fresno State): "Great local conference that is building something special. Teams like Fresno State performed well this past season. It is very entertaining and close to home.
West Coast Conference (Saint Mary's, San Diego, and San Francisco): "This is another great local conference. I attend games as much as possible either out in San Francisco or right at Saint Mary's. Knowing some of the players in the conference and watching their growth shows how well this league can improve your game. It has very exciting rivalry games. The atmosphere is one of the best of the smaller conferences."
During this summer, Udenyi will be playing with Team 94 and his high school's Greenline team. Udenyi will be working on his conditioning and strength. He wants to become more explosive when driving to the basket. He will also be working on his mid-range game since he knows that his size will not always allow him to get to the rim. So, the mid-range will be vital and keep the defense honest. He also puts up 1,000 jump shots a day to improve his perimeter game.
Team 94 Coach Phil Handy, former University of Hawaii star and Golden State Warrior, says, "Amadi is a big time defender from baseline to baseline. He can really guard at a high level and understands how to make an offensive player work. He also has a great basketball IQ coming from a well coached and disciplined De La Salle High School program. Extremely quick player with a good handle and can really shoot the 3. He is a very hard-nosed player who does not back down from a challenge. Very coachable and plays hard on every position, a great team player who leads by example."
The contemporary point guards for excellence will often include Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Deron Williams on that list. As no surprise, Udenyi follows the game of these NBA point guards.
Udenyi says about Rose, "Speed! Gets up and down the court faster than many other PGs in the league. He has heart, he is an amazing playmaker, and wants to win. He's young but is leading by example. I like his transition game as I try and push and create for my team as well."
Concerning Russell Westbrook, Udenyi says, "He is a great athlete and he makes his team better. He has added to his game each season as you can tell that he works hard in the off season. His play making ability and defense is what I try and take from Russell."
He also likes Deron Williams. "Smooth. Never looks rattled or out of control. He is very polished, efficient, and plays both offense and defense. I like everything about his game. He is very effective and smart as I try and be both whenever I play."
Coach Handy says, "Off the court, Amadi is a quiet and polite young man. His demeanor off the court is completely different than when he is on the court. Because of his ability to defend and shoot mixed in with his IQ, he will have a chance to play at the DIV 1 level. I can see him fitting in nicely at a mid major program. I am still getting to know him as a player but he will be a huge part of the success of Team 94 this spring and summer."
Udenyi will get the exposure that he needs to really get into the national spotlight from playing on Team 94. But an underrated De La Salle team during this past year will not be overlooked in his upcoming season. But expect this bulldog of a point guard to not back down from the next set of challenges in Concord for his Spartans.
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