BY ZACH SMART
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. –Playing with his patented giddiness and infectious swagger, Lewis Uvwo has continued to emerge out of obscurity and into one of the nation’s top overall 2027 recruits.
Known for uproarious responses and thorough eruptions of laughter following forceful blocks, the 6-foot-11, 225-pound Uvwo narrowly missed a triple double with 10 points, 10 blocks, and nine rebounds during his Nightrydas team’s 58-51 victory over Team Herro on Thursday.
With newly minted UNC head coach Michael Malone, Duke coach John Scheyer, Arkansas coach John Calipari, Miami’s Jai Lucas and Syracuse’s Gerry McNamara among a handful of others on hand, Uvwo showed the attributes and intangibles which make him such a highly coveted Top-6 national recruit.
Uvwo is playing his first year of AAU basketball and is on a major upward trajectory, after playing sparingly on a star-spangled Prolific Prep (FL) team this past season.
Uvwo boasted a streamlined offensive game, finishing high floating lob passes and while winding up 4 for 5 from the floor. He’s been able to score without requiring a lot of touches throughout EYBL play this spring/summer.
During a down to the wire, low scoring affair, Duke-commit Kager Knueppel stuck a tape-measure 3-pointer with 4:34 remaining in the fourth quarter to knot it at 43-all.
Uvwo then turned in a traditional 3-point play. After finishing through significant contact, the never-lacking-for entertainment value Uvwo stuck his tongue out in celebrity fashion and completed the free throw.
Possessing a wowing 7-foot-7 wingspan, Uvwo had four blocks in the game’s opening seven minutes.Uvwo scored 13 points on 6-for-7 from the field, grabbing 12 boards and registering three blocks during Team Takeover in Las Vegas.
Miami, Arkansas, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Syracuse, Providence, Cal, Mississippi State, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Southern Cal, and myriad others have offered Uvwo.
Duke is among the latest offers for the Nigerian-born Uvwo, who received the offer two weeks ago. With his shot-blocking prowess, Uvwo has become a largely unrivaled defensive backbone.
He has rapidly evolved into one of the best rim protectors in recent memory on the EYBL circuit.
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