Ernest Udeh is Making His Mark in the Desert

As a senior at Coral Gables, Udeh flourished, especially on the defensive end. In 33 starts as a senior, Udeh recorded eight games with at least three blocks and six games with at least two steals. At season’s end, he was named to the All-ACC Defensive Team.  

But Udeh’s bread-and-butter skill is on the boards. In a game against Clemson last January, he grabbed 17 boards. In a matchup against Georgia Tech, he piled up 15 boards to go with 13 points, a steal and a block. The previous season, in a win over Texas A&M, he grabbed 18 rebounds, a collegiate career high. 

Overall, last season Udeh racked up 10 games with double-digit rebounds, including six double-doubles. 

It doesn’t take long, watching Udeh in practice or through his first three games of Summer League, to see that he brings some added juice to the floor. 

“My energy is infectious,” said the 6-11, 266-pound Udeh. “Whether you're in the weight room, whether you're on the court, whether you're outside off the court, your energy is infectious. And when you can pour into the other guys – in a drill, when someone may be shooting flat or things not going well – how can you give them that boost of life, give them that energy? It’s something that I've always been great at, something that I enjoy, and it's one of my strong suits.”

Udeh isn’t a major offensive threat, although he did notch double-figure scoring in nine games last year with the Hurricanes. But while he averaged just 6.7ppg as a senior, he was efficient in the process – shooting .727 from the floor as senior, .678 throughout his four-year college career. 

He didn’t make a major splash in Cleveland’s Summer League opener against Indiana – finishing with just four points, a pair of rebounds and a steal in 20 minutes of work. 

But he began showing his stuff in the next contest against Detroit – netting six points, six boards, a team-best four steals and a pair of blocks. He was even more effective the following night against Miami, going 4-for-6 from the floor for eight points, adding a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and a game-high four blocks. 

His goals for this week’s Summer League session is simple: Help the team win games. 

“I'm not a person who's individual at all,” smiled Udeh. “That’s why I chose the game of basketball, why I gravitated towards it. If I wanted to be individual, I could go play golf or go play tennis. But I want to be able to play with a group, to play for somebody else other than myself, to be selfless at all times, while having fun, while winning, while being competitive. That's really the main thing for me.” 

Udeh and the Cavaliers wrap up group play in Vegas on Wednesday afternoon at COX Pavilion, taking on the Pelicans before wrapping up over the weekend. From there, he’ll get to enjoy the rest of the summer before tangling with the squad’s veteran big men at Training Camp this fall.

There are myriad reasons why people from around the globe make their pilgrimage to Las Vegas. 

Gambling at the tables or working the slots. Bachelor/bachelorette parties. Experiencing The Wizard of Oz at The Sphere. An Elvis-officiated shotgun wedding off the strip.

But for some youngsters, over a two-week stretch over the summer, Las Vegas is about something other than fun and frivolity. For them, Las Vegas is the land of opportunity.  

That opportunity has called for several recent Cavaliers at the Summer League session in Sin City. Matthew Dellavedova traveled to the Nevada desert as an unknown and eventually became a household name and World Champion. Sam Merrill parlayed his stint into a steady spot with the Wine & Gold and is now one of the league’s top three-point marksmen. Nae’Qwan Tomlin went from a two-way guy before last year’s run and ended last season in Kenny Atkinson’s rotation.  

Through three games this year, all eyes have been on Cleveland’s lone draft pick this part June – Meleek Thomas – and why not? The 19-year-old, taken with the 34^th overall pick out of Arkansas is averaging 28.3 points per, shooting an even 50 percent (31-for-52) from the floor, 46 percent (11-of-24) from beyond the arc.

But Thomas isn’t the only Cavalier looking to combine his summer showing into bigger and better things this fall.

Rookie big man Ernest Udeh Jr. inked a two-way deal with the Wine & Gold not long after going undrafted out of the University of Miami, where he spent his last two collegiate seasons. And after a slow start in Vegas, he’s shown exactly why the Cavs brass was so intrigued by the 22-year-old center from Orlando. 

“I've been playing basketball all my life, and to be at the next level, above anything, is obviously a great opportunity,” said Udeh. “But especially with this organization. It's been nothing but great people. Ever since I first walked in the door – the first day of workouts, when I signed, lifting, lunch, treatment – no matter what it is, they have great people around this organization. And honestly, for me, I'm blessed. I'm blessed that this is the first place I'm at, and hopefully, I'm here for the rest of my career.”

Udeh is that rare four-year guy coming out of college, although like most youngsters these days, he spent time with different programs. After starting out with Kansas, Udeh spent his sophomore and junior seasons with TCU before finishing up at The U.