5  Uche Nsonwu-Amadi
	Class: Senior Hometown: Enugu, Nigeria Last College: Indian Hills Community College, Iowa Height / Weight: 6-10 / 260 Position: Forward/Center

Pronounced: OO-chay en-SAWN-woo uh-MAUD-ee

2002-03 (Senior): Uche Nsonwu-Amadi enters his senior season as one of the top returning big men in the country. The Sporting News ranks Nsonwu-Amadi as the No. 10 best center in the nation. Street & Smith rates him as the "Best NBA Prospect" in the Mountain West Conference, and Basketball News lists him as the No. 16 best "Banger" in the country. Lindy's named him as the best rebounder in the Mountain West Conference. He is also a big reason why Basketball News ranked the Wyoming frontcourt as the No. 9 best frontcourt in the nation in its annual unit rankings. The senior from Enugu, Nigeria, has a chance to rank among the top rebounders in Wyoming school history by the time he ends his career, and he will accomplish that having played only three seasons for the Cowboys. Nsonwu-Amadi will begin his senior season with 504 career rebounds. He needs 248 rebounds to break into the UW Career Top 10 list in rebounding. Through his first two seasons at UW, he has averaged 252 rebounds -- 250 as a sophomore and 254 as a junior. He led Wyoming in rebounding last season, averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, and he was a big reason why the Pokes ended the season ranked No. 7 in the NCAA in rebounding margin -- outrebounding their opponents by an average of 7.7 per game. Rebounding is not Nsonwu-Amadi's only skill. He has an 11.0 career scoring average at Wyoming, and has posted one of the best shooting percentages in the Mountain West Conference over the past two seasons (57.2 percent). He led the MWC in field-goal percentage as a sophomore and ranked second his junior season. Also an outstanding shot blocker, Nsonwu-Amadi has 56 for his career, and he needs only 10 more blocks to break into the UW Career Top 10 list. Has scored in double figures in 37 of 61 games for his career and grabbed double figure rebounds in 19 of 61, with 13 double-doubles.

2001-02 (Junior): Earned Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors for the second consecutive season. Nsonwu-Amadi also achieved Academic All-Conference honors, while majoring in management information systems. Averaged 8.2 rebounds per game as a junior to rank No. 2 in the MWC. Also ranked No. 2 in the league in field-goal percentage (.540) and No. 4 in blocked shots (1.0 blocked shots per game). In two NCAA Tournament games versus Gonzaga and Arizona, Nsonwu-Amadi averaged 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Grabbed a career high 17 rebounds versus San Diego State on Jan. 21, 2002. He scored a season high 20 points versus New Mexico on Jan. 26. One of only two Cowboys to start every game during the 2001-02 season (the other was former Cowboy Josh Davis). He had four games in which he was perfect from the field -- vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4 of 4), Eastern Kentucky (8 of 8), Boise State (2 of 2) and Air Force (5 of 5). He shot 50.0 percent or better in 19 of 31 games during the 2001-02 season. Ended the season with a double-double against No. 7 ranked Arizona -- 10 points and 10 rebounds.

2000-01 (Redshirt Sophomore): Nsonwu-Amadi was the MWC Newcomer of the Year, and he earned Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors from MWC coaches. He was one of the most consistent performers in the conference in his first season competing at the NCAA Division I level. He led the conference in field-goal percentage, shooting 60.2 percent. Nsonwu-Amadi also ranked No. 3 in rebounding (8.3 rebounds per game), No. 8 in blocked shots (0.83 blocked shots per game) and No. 14 in scoring (11.8 points per game). He started all 30 games for the Cowboys, and averaged 27.9 minutes per game. Nsonwu-Amadi scored in double figures in 18 of 30 games, pulled down double-figure rebounds in nine games and had seven double-doubles. He also scored 20 or more points three times, with a career high 22 versus New Mexico in an 82-78 road win in "The Pit" on Jan. 29, 2001. He played a career high 38 minutes in that road victory over the Lobos. His season high in rebounds was 14 versus Creighton on Feb. 17, 2001.

1999-2000 (Sophomore): Nsonwu-Amadi transferred to the University of Wyoming after playing one year at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa. He did not meet NCAA Clearinghouse guidelines upon transferring to UW, so he attended school at Wyoming but could not practice with the team or compete. He achieved NCAA qualification standards by excelling in the classroom for one full academic year at the University of Wyoming.

1998-99 (Freshman at Indian Hills CC): A member of Indian Hills Community College third consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship. Played primarily as the sixth man on Indian Hills' National Championship team that posted a 37-1 record on way to their third consecutive national title. Nsonwu-Amadi averaged 6.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game as a freshman. Coached by Mike Capaccio at Indian Hills.

High School/Personal: A native of Enugu, Nigeria, he was an All-State selection in basketball for the state of Niger. He also competed in soccer all four years at Federal Collegiate High School in Minna, Nigeria. He was born Jan. 17, 1978, in Enugu, Nigeria. Nsonwu-Amadi has one older sister, Alex. He was also recruited by Iowa State, Iowa, Purdue and Rutgers. Nsonwu-Amadi is majoring in management information systems.

Career Statistics