{{short description|Nigerian-American basketball player (born 1988)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Ben Uzoh | image = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 3 | weight_lb = 205 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|3|18}} | birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S. | nationality = American / Nigerian | high_school = Warren (San Antonio, Texas) | college = Tulsa (2006–2010) | draft_year = 2010 | career_start = 2010 | career_end = 2022 | career_number = 18, 6 | career_position = Point guard | years1 = {{nbay|2010|full=y}} | team1 = New Jersey Nets | years2 = 2011 | team2 = →Springfield Armor | years3 = 2011 | team3 = Lokomotiv Kuban | years4 = 2012 | team4 = Rio Grande Valley Vipers | years5 = {{nbay|2011|end}} | team5 = Cleveland Cavaliers | years6 = {{nbay|2011|end}} | team6 = Toronto Raptors | years7 = 2012–2013 | team7 = Springfield Armor | years8 = 2013–2014 | team8 = Tulsa 66ers | years9 = 2014 | team9 = Canton Charge | years10 = 2015 | team10 = Lagos Islanders | years11 = 2017 | team11 = Okapi Aalstar | years12 = 2018 | team12 = Caballeros de Culiacan | years13 = 2019–2020 | team13 = Paris | years14 = 2021 | team14 = Rivers Hoopers | years15 = 2021 | team15 = Cape Town Tigers | years16 = 2022 | team16 = Marinos | highlights = * South African League champion (2021) * CIBACOPA All-Star (2018) * First-team All-Conference USA (2010) * 2× Second-team All-Conference USA (2008, 2009) * Conference USA All-Freshman team (2007) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's basketball}} {{MedalCountry|{{bk|NGA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA Africa Championship}} {{MedalGold|2015 Tunisia|}} }}
'''Benjamin Chukwukelo Uzoh''' {{Audio|LL-Q33578 (ibo)-Obefelix-Ben Uzoh.wav|Listen|help=no}}(born March 18, 1988) is a Nigerian-American former basketball player. He played in international competitions for {{bklink|Nigeria}}.<ref>[https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/dtigers-begin-world-cup-qualifier-uganda/ D-Tigers Begin World Cup Qualifier]</ref> Standing at {{height|ft=6|in=3}} and playing at the point guard, Uzoh played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors. He also played for several teams across North America, Europe, South America and Africa.
==College career== Uzoh played for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane over his four-year college basketball career. {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Freshman !! Sophomore !! Junior !! Senior |- | 9.9 PPG || 15.6 PPG || 14.0 PPG || 15.3 PPG |- | 5.0 RPG || 5.4 RPG || 4.9 RPG || 4.7 RPG |- | 1.5 APG || 2.3 APG || 4.7 APG || 4.7 APG |}
Uzoh is the only player in school history to be ranked top 10 among points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. He's a three time All-Conference USA recipient including his selection to the first team his senior year. He started in 140 games out 141 game in his college career.
==Professional career== In the summer of 2010, Uzoh earned Portsmouth Invitational Tournament All Third Team.
After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft, Uzoh signed a partially guaranteed contract with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association. On January 5, 2011, Uzoh was given a guaranteed contract to play out the rest of the year in New Jersey. He was briefly assigned to the Springfield Armor of the NBA D-League, during the month of March 2011.<ref>[http://www.sunherald.com/2011/03/15/2944582/nets-send-uzoh-to-d-league.html Nets send Uzoh to D-League.]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In October 2011, he signed a one-year contract with Lokomotiv Kuban of the Russian League,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportando.net/eng/europe/russia/31404/lokomotiv_kuban_announces_ben_uzoh.html |title=Lokomotiv Kuban announces Ben Uzoh. |access-date=2011-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205033614/http://www.sportando.net/eng/europe/russia/31404/lokomotiv_kuban_announces_ben_uzoh.html |archive-date=2011-12-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but was released after playing just two games.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportando.net/eng/europe/russia/32125/lokomotiv_kuban_and_ben_uzoh_part_ways.html |title=Lokomotiv Kuban and Ben Uzoh part ways. |access-date=2011-10-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111231101945/http://www.sportando.net/eng/europe/russia/32125/lokomotiv_kuban_and_ben_uzoh_part_ways.html |archive-date=2011-12-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On March 27, 2012, he signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association.<ref>[https://nationalpost.com/sports/basketball/nba/raptors-sign-ben-uzoh-to-10-day-contract Raptors rule Jerryd Bayless out for season; sign Ben Uzoh to 10-day contract.] </ref> On April 16, 2012, the Raptors announced they had signed Ben Uzoh for the remainder of the 2011–2012 season. He recorded a triple-double on April 26, against the Nets, the first by a Raptor in eleven years.<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/04/26/sports/s182745D02.DTL Uzoh has triple-double as Raptors rout Nets.]{{dead link|date=February 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
Uzoh joined the Denver Nuggets for their training camp in October 2012,<ref>[https://www.nba.com/nuggets/nuggets-announce-2012-training-camp-roster Nuggets announce 2012 training camp roster.]</ref> but did not make the team's final roster.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=11273 |title=Denver Nuggets waive guards Anthony Carter, Ben Uzoh. |access-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421110155/http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=11273 |archive-date=2015-04-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was then acquired by the D-League team the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/full_list_returning_affiliate_local_tryout_players_2012.html Full List of 2012 Returning, Affiliate and Local Tryout Players Invited to NBA D-League Training Camps.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218094230/http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/full_list_returning_affiliate_local_tryout_players_2012.html |date=2015-12-18 }}</ref> However, on November 5, 2012, Uzoh was traded to the Armor for Tim Ohlbrecht.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130130012947/http://www.nba.com/dleague/springfield/armor_acquire_ben_uzoh_2012_11_05.html Armor acquire Uzoh.]</ref>
On October 31, 2013, Uzoh was acquired by the Tulsa 66ers in a trade involving the Iowa Energy and the Springfield Armor.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/dleague/tulsa/66ers_acquire_no_1_overall_pick_131031.html 66ers Acquire No. 1 Overall Pick and Ben Uzoh] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204005638/http://www.nba.com/dleague/tulsa/66ers_acquire_no_1_overall_pick_131031.html |date=2013-12-04 }}</ref> On January 22, 2014, he was traded to the Canton Charge.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/dleague/canton/news/canton_acquires_uzoh_from_tuls_2014_01_22.html Canton Acquires Uzoh From Tulsa] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035740/http://www.nba.com/dleague/canton/news/canton_acquires_uzoh_from_tuls_2014_01_22.html |date=2014-02-22 }}</ref> On March 21, 2014, he was waived by the Charge due to a season-ending injury.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/dleague/canton/news/charge_reacquire_shane_edwards_2014_03_21.html Charge Reacquire Shane Edwards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322115049/http://www.nba.com/dleague/canton/news/charge_reacquire_shane_edwards_2014_03_21.html |date=2014-03-22 }}</ref>
Ben Uzoh went to Nigeria in 2015 where he signed on to play for the Lagos Islanders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.basketballwithinborders.com/jason-ebie-ben-uzoh-and-william-ndoumbe-combine-for-61-points-against-warriors-on-historic-night-at-landmark-centre/|title=Jason Ebie, Ben Uzoh and William Ndoumbe combine for 61 points against Warriors on historic night at Landmark Centre {{!}} BWB|website=www.basketballwithinborders.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724064328/http://www.basketballwithinborders.com/jason-ebie-ben-uzoh-and-william-ndoumbe-combine-for-61-points-against-warriors-on-historic-night-at-landmark-centre/|archive-date=2018-07-24|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On March 12, 2017, Uzoh signed with Belgian club Okapi Aalstar for the rest of the 2016–17 season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/belgium/228616/ben-uzoh-signs-with-okapi-aalstar.html |title=Ben Uzoh signs with Okapi Aalstar |access-date=2017-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313124932/http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/belgium/228616/ben-uzoh-signs-with-okapi-aalstar.html |archive-date=2017-03-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On February 10, 2018, he signed with Caballeros de Culiacan of the CIBACOPA league in Mexico.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gentesinaloa.com/ben-uzoh-se-une-a-caballeros-de-culiacan/ |title=Ben Uzoh se une a Caballeros de Culiacán |language=es |trans-title=Ben Uzoh joins the Caballeros de Culiacán |work=GenteSinaloa.com |date=February 12, 2018 |accessdate=October 19, 2022 |archive-date=May 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521022430/https://gentesinaloa.com/ben-uzoh-se-une-a-caballeros-de-culiacan/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He earned league All-Star honors.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://cibacopa.org/noticias/todo-listo-para-la-lluvia-de-estrellas-en-culiacan/|title=Todo listo para la lluvia de Estrellas en Culiacán|publisher=CIBACOPA|date=May 19, 2018|access-date=June 10, 2023|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025045555/https://cibacopa.org/noticias/todo-listo-para-la-lluvia-de-estrellas-en-culiacan/|archive-date=October 25, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
On November 24, 2019, Uzoh signed with Paris Basketball of the LNB Pro B.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/paris-basketball-sign-ben-uzoh/|title=Paris Basketball sign Ben Uzoh|last=|first=|date=November 24, 2019|website=|newspaper=Sportando|language=En|access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423065644/https://sportando.basketball/en/paris-basketball-sign-ben-uzoh/|url-status=dead}}</ref> On January 20, 2020, Paris Basketball and Uzoh jointly decided not to continue their collaboration.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketeurope.com/livenews-fr/492842/pro-b-le-paris-basketball-se-separe-de-ben-uzoh/|title=Paris Basketball|date=20 January 2020}}</ref>
In April 2021, Uzoh signed with the Nigerian team Rivers Hoopers to play in the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).<ref>{{cite news |title=Rivers Hoopers sign D'Tigers star ahead of Basketball Africa League – AllBallerZone |url=https://allballerzone.com/rivers-hoopers-sign-dtigers-star-ahead-of-basketball-africa-league/ |access-date=April 15, 2021 |work=Allballerzone.com |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415163614/https://allballerzone.com/rivers-hoopers-sign-dtigers-star-ahead-of-basketball-africa-league/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He scored the first-ever points in the BAL in the season opener against Patriots BBC.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ben Uzoh scores first BAL points but J. Cole's Patriots bag first win |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/31459554/ben-uzoh-scores-first-bal-points-j-cole-patriots-bag-first-win |access-date=8 December 2021 |work=ESPN.com |date=17 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref> He also became the first ex-NBA player to play in the newly established competition.<ref>{{cite news |title=Uzoh set to make BAL history |url=https://punchng.com/uzoh-set-to-make-bal-history/ |access-date=8 December 2021 |date=14 May 2021|newspaper=The Punch}}</ref> The Hoopers were eliminated in the regular season after two losses and one win, with Uzoh averaging a team-leading 14.7 points per game.
In September 2021, Uzoh was on the roster of South African team Cape Town Tigers and helped the team win its first-ever national championship. He recorded 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the championship game against Jozi Nuggets.<ref>{{cite news |title=D'Tigers Ben Uzoh leads Cape Town Tigers to South Africa club championship |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/nigeria-sports-news/484227-dtigers-ben-uzoh-leads-cape-town-tigers-to-south-africa-club-championship.html |access-date=14 September 2021 |date=10 September 2021|newspaper=Premium Times}}</ref>
On July 4, 2022, he signed with Marinos of the Venezuelan SuperLiga.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Flores |first=Sairuby Alayon |date=2022-07-04 |title=Ben Uzoh se une al acorazado oriental |url=https://www.liderendeportes.com/noticias/basketball/baloncesto-superliga/ben-uzoh-se-une-al-acorazado-oriental/ |access-date=2022-07-05 |website=Líder en deportes |language=es}}</ref>
== Post-playing career == In October 2023, Uzoh became a scout for his former team, the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-27 |title=New Raptors scout Ben Uzoh and president Masai Ujiri share more than Nigerian roots |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/38754030/new-toronto-raptors-scout-ben-uzoh-president-masai-ujiri-share-more-nigerian-roots |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
==National team career== Uzoh has played for the Nigerian national basketball team at the 2013, 2015, and 2017 FIBA Men's African Championships. He was also a member of the Nigerian team that participated at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.basketballwithinborders.com/ben-uzoh-impressed-with-the-growing-basketball-culture-in-nigeria/|title=Ben Uzoh impressed with the growing basketball culture in Nigeria {{!}} BWB|website=www.basketballwithinborders.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724093138/http://www.basketballwithinborders.com/ben-uzoh-impressed-with-the-growing-basketball-culture-in-nigeria/|archive-date=2018-07-24|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Afrobasket 2013 !! AfroBasket 2015 !! Rio Olympics 2016 !! Fiba World Cup 2019 |- | 10.6 PPG || 5.6 RPG || 5.0 APG || 6.8 PPG |- | 8.1 PPG || 3.1 RPG || 3.0 APG || 2.2 APG |- | 7.4 PPG || 1.4 RPG || 2.6 APG || 1.6 RPG |}
==Career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}}
===NBA===
====Regular season==== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | align="left" | {{nbay|2010}} | align="left" | New Jersey | '''42''' || 0 || 10.4 || '''.424''' || '''.375''' || '''.589''' || 1.5 || 1.6 || 0.3 || '''0.2''' || 3.8 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|2011}} | align="left" | Cleveland | 2 || 0 || 6.5 || .400 || .000 || .000 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|2011}} | align="left" | Toronto | 16 || '''8''' || '''22.3''' || .351 || .000 || .579 || '''3.9''' || '''3.7''' || '''1.0''' || '''0.2''' || '''4.8''' |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 60 || 8 || 13.5 || .395 || .333 || .587 || 2.1 || 2.2 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 4.0 {{S-end}}
===BAL=== {{BAL player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"|2021 | style="text-align:left;"|Rivers Hoopers | 3 || 3 || 29.1 || .559 || .000 || .667 || 4.7 || 5.3 || 1.0 || .7 || 14.7 |- |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 3 || 3 || 29.1 || .559 || .000 || .667 || 4.7 || 5.3 || 1.0 || .7 || 14.7 {{s-end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Basketballstats |nba= 202386 |bbr= u/uzohbe01 }} *[https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4296/ben-uzoh ESPN profile] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120422060422/http://www.tulsahurricane.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/uzoh_ben00.html Tulsa Golden Hurricanes bio] {{Nigeria squad FIBA Africa Championship 2015}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uzoh, Ben}} Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen Category:2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players Category:American expatriate basketball people in Belgium Category:American expatriate basketball people in Canada Category:American expatriate basketball people in Russia Category:American men's basketball players Category:American people of Nigerian descent Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent Category:Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Houston Category:Basketball players from San Antonio Category:Canton Charge players Category:Cape Town Tigers players Category:Cleveland Cavaliers players Category:Marinos B.B.C. players Category:New Jersey Nets players Category:Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Canada Category:Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Russia Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:Nigerian men's basketball players Category:Okapi Aalst players Category:Olympic basketball players for Nigeria Category:PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban players Category:Point guards Category:Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Category:Rivers Hoopers players Category:Springfield Armor players Category:Toronto Raptors personnel Category:Toronto Raptors players Category:Tulsa 66ers players Category:Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball players Category:Undrafted NBA players