Wisconsin has signed another player out of the portal. This time it's Victory Onuetu, a 6'10 center who played at Hofstra last season. He's a direct solution to a problem that Wisconsin couldn't solve last year. A rim-protector, paint stuffing, big man. There was no one Gard could trust down low to block shots and consistently get rebounds; he may have found exactly that in Onuetu.
Onuetu isn't a stretch big; in fact, he's never even shot a three-point shot in his college career. He averaged 4.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1 block per game. He showed incredible promise against a high-major in the NCAA Tournament when he recorded 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 assists against Alabama.
Wisconsin has signed Hofstra forward transfer Victory Onuetu, @chris_hummer and I have learned for @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) April 18, 2026
6-10, 235-pounder who averaged 6.9 rebounds per game this past season. Had nine rebounds, four points, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 18 minutes vs. Alabama. pic.twitter.com/C4thh8ZSil
Wisconsin adds rim-protecting big man Victory Onuetu
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Onuetu seems to turn it on when the lights get a little brighter and loves to pull down a rebound. He not only had the above stat line against Alabama. When he played against Syracuse early in the year, he had 6 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks. He's a beast in the paint.
Wisconsin head coach "He's an extremely talented, athletic front line player that gives us excellent rim pressure in transition, lob threats in the half court, shot blocking capability, and relentless rebounding."
Gard called him a compliment to their roster plan for next season. It really does seem like Gard knew that last season they simply didn't have a rim-protecter. Not only a player who could go out game after game and get you a bunch of rebounds. Onuetu is exactly this and he's only going to be a sophomore.
Before he was at Hofstra, Onuetu played overseas in the Spanish professional leagues and for the FIBA U-20 Championship, the FIBA U-19 World Cup Championship, and the FIBA U-18 European Championship.
This seems like exactly the type of player that Wisconsin needs and didn't have last season. Wisconsin needed at least one player that Gard could rely on to stuff the paint, help with the boards, and block shots. Welcome, Victory Onuetu.
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