2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
Nwuba, Kenneth
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF/C
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
Jersey Number 14
Kenneth Nwuba
- Position:
- Forward/Center
- Height:
- 6-10
- Weight:
- 255
- Class:
- Redshirt Fifth Year
- Hometown:
- Lagos, Nigeria
- High School:
- Huntington Prep [WV]
Bio
Career
Played in 123 career games through five seasons, making eight starts … averaged 1.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game … redshirted in 2019-20 … played a fifth season in 2023-24, gaining one extra year of eligibility afforded to players who were on rosters during the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season … totaled 122 points, 153 rebounds, 36 blocks and 14 steals in 123 career games … shot 55.1 percent from the field through five seasons.
2023-24
Played in all 33 games, making two starts … averaged 1.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game … made 16 of 28 shots (57.1%) … scored a season-high 10 points in the Bruins’ season-opening win against Saint Francis (Nov. 6) … shot 4-for-4 from the field and had one block in the win against Saint Francis … tallied a season-high five rebounds in six minutes off the bench against Oregon State (Feb. 1) … played at least 10 minutes in 12 contests.
2022-23
Played in 35 games, making five starts … averaged 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game … recorded a career-best average in rebounding (1.7 rpg) and blocks (21 blocks, 0.6 bpg) … made 20 of 32 shots (62.5%) … logged a career-high 31 minutes in the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 contest against Gonzaga (March 23) … scored a season-high 10 points in the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament win against UNC Asheville (March 16) … also had four rebounds and two blocks and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field versus UNC Asheville … recorded a season-high five rebounds in a home victory against Oregon (Dec. 4) … logged a career-high five blocks in a home win versus Utah (Jan. 12) … also had four blocks in a home victory over UC Davis (Dec. 21) … totaled a career-high three assists against Norfolk State (Nov. 14) … did not play against California (Feb. 18) due to a left hip injury, sustained in the previous game versus Stanford (Feb. 16).
2021-22
Played in 20 games … averaged 1.2 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per game … made 10 of 15 shot attempts (66.7%) … scored five points in a win against North Florida (Nov. 17) … totaled a season-high four rebounds in a non-conference victory at UNLV (Nov. 27) … had a pair of blocked shots in the season-opening win against CSU Bakersfield (Nov. 9).
2020-21
Played in 18 games (one start) … scored two points, totaled 17 rebounds and blocked four shots in 107 minutes (6.0 minutes per game) … had five rebounds in a season-high 20 minutes in UCLA’s 51-49 win over Michigan in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight (March 30) … had three rebounds and one block in 15 minutes during the team’s 73-62 win against BYU in the NCAA Tournament’s first round (March 20) … earned his first career start in a game at USC (Feb. 6).
2019-20
Did not play … redshirt year.
2018-19
Played in 17 games … averaged 0.4 points and 0.6 rebounds in 2.9 minutes per game … scored a season-high four points and grabbed a season-high three rebounds against Michigan State (Nov. 22) … also played a season-high seven minutes versus Michigan State … scored two points and had two rebounds at Oregon State (Jan. 13).
High School
Was a three-year varsity basketball letterwinner … spent his senior year of high school at Huntington Prep (Huntington, W. Va.) under head coach Arkell Bruce … played the previous two seasons at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) … as a senior at Huntington Prep, averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.7 assists per game … was a central player on a Huntington Prep squad that debuted as the nation’s No. 8-ranked team … as a junior at Oak Hill Academy, averaged 7.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and nearly four blocks per game … enrolled as a freshman at Arlington Country Day School (Jacksonville, Fla.).
Personal
Full name: Kenneth Beluchukwu Nwuba (last name is pronounced NEW-buh) … born in Awka, Nigeria … is the second of Ken and Joy Hellen Nwuba’s four sons … has three brothers – Chisom, Onyeka and Chidi … moved from Nigeria to the United States at age 15, prior to his freshman year of high school … African-American studies major.
Played in 123 career games through five seasons, making eight starts … averaged 1.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game … redshirted in 2019-20 … played a fifth season in 2023-24, gaining one extra year of eligibility afforded to players who were on rosters during the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season … totaled 122 points, 153 rebounds, 36 blocks and 14 steals in 123 career games … shot 55.1 percent from the field through five seasons.
2023-24
Played in all 33 games, making two starts … averaged 1.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game … made 16 of 28 shots (57.1%) … scored a season-high 10 points in the Bruins’ season-opening win against Saint Francis (Nov. 6) … shot 4-for-4 from the field and had one block in the win against Saint Francis … tallied a season-high five rebounds in six minutes off the bench against Oregon State (Feb. 1) … played at least 10 minutes in 12 contests.
2022-23
Played in 35 games, making five starts … averaged 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game … recorded a career-best average in rebounding (1.7 rpg) and blocks (21 blocks, 0.6 bpg) … made 20 of 32 shots (62.5%) … logged a career-high 31 minutes in the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 contest against Gonzaga (March 23) … scored a season-high 10 points in the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament win against UNC Asheville (March 16) … also had four rebounds and two blocks and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field versus UNC Asheville … recorded a season-high five rebounds in a home victory against Oregon (Dec. 4) … logged a career-high five blocks in a home win versus Utah (Jan. 12) … also had four blocks in a home victory over UC Davis (Dec. 21) … totaled a career-high three assists against Norfolk State (Nov. 14) … did not play against California (Feb. 18) due to a left hip injury, sustained in the previous game versus Stanford (Feb. 16).
2021-22
Played in 20 games … averaged 1.2 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per game … made 10 of 15 shot attempts (66.7%) … scored five points in a win against North Florida (Nov. 17) … totaled a season-high four rebounds in a non-conference victory at UNLV (Nov. 27) … had a pair of blocked shots in the season-opening win against CSU Bakersfield (Nov. 9).
2020-21
Played in 18 games (one start) … scored two points, totaled 17 rebounds and blocked four shots in 107 minutes (6.0 minutes per game) … had five rebounds in a season-high 20 minutes in UCLA’s 51-49 win over Michigan in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight (March 30) … had three rebounds and one block in 15 minutes during the team’s 73-62 win against BYU in the NCAA Tournament’s first round (March 20) … earned his first career start in a game at USC (Feb. 6).
2019-20
Did not play … redshirt year.
2018-19
Played in 17 games … averaged 0.4 points and 0.6 rebounds in 2.9 minutes per game … scored a season-high four points and grabbed a season-high three rebounds against Michigan State (Nov. 22) … also played a season-high seven minutes versus Michigan State … scored two points and had two rebounds at Oregon State (Jan. 13).
High School
Was a three-year varsity basketball letterwinner … spent his senior year of high school at Huntington Prep (Huntington, W. Va.) under head coach Arkell Bruce … played the previous two seasons at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) … as a senior at Huntington Prep, averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.7 assists per game … was a central player on a Huntington Prep squad that debuted as the nation’s No. 8-ranked team … as a junior at Oak Hill Academy, averaged 7.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and nearly four blocks per game … enrolled as a freshman at Arlington Country Day School (Jacksonville, Fla.).
Personal
Full name: Kenneth Beluchukwu Nwuba (last name is pronounced NEW-buh) … born in Awka, Nigeria … is the second of Ken and Joy Hellen Nwuba’s four sons … has three brothers – Chisom, Onyeka and Chidi … moved from Nigeria to the United States at age 15, prior to his freshman year of high school … African-American studies major.
UCLA M. Basketball Media Availability - Players (Aug. 26, 2025)
Tuesday, August 26
UCLA M. Basketball Media Availability - Coach Cronin (Aug. 26, 2025)
Tuesday, August 26
UCLA M. Basketball Postgame - vs. Tennessee (March 22, 2025)
Saturday, March 22
UCLA M. Basketball Press Conference – Players (March 21, 2025)
Friday, March 21
