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Ekpe Udoh News & Rumors

Bucks' trade works for present and future
March 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 columnist Michael Hunt
"The Bucks always have two agendas when they make a blockbuster trade like they did earlier this week. They have to decide what is best for them right now, in the moment. That is John Hammond's responsibility. By all practical appearances, he did that with the Monta Ellis-Andrew Bogut move that included some other garbage-dumping ancillaries at which the general has become adept over the years. And, more than some teams, they have to decide what is best for the future. That is the purview of Herb Kohl and his sidekicks. Whenever the Bucks move a franchise piece like Bogut, the No. 1 pick of the 2005 draft, they have to weigh selling tickets and keeping the organization viable long enough"
Bucks expect Ellis, Udoh to be contributing factors
March 15
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"The toughest part of this trade so far might just be the air time. Monta Ellis and Ekpe Udoh had just flown in from California on Wednesday, arriving in Milwaukee in the early afternoon after the news of their trade, a virtually sleepless Tuesday night and a mad dash to the airport. They were introduced as the newest Bucks in a news conference before the Milwaukee-Cleveland game at the Bradley Center. Then Thursday they'll be back on a plane, headed back to San Francisco where the Bucks will play the Golden State Warriors - their old team - on Friday night."
Warriors to send Monta Ellis to Bucks in trade for Andrew Bogut
March 13
Yahoo! Sports
 
"The Golden State Warriors have agreed in principle to trade guard Monta Ellis and two players to the Milwaukee Bucks for center Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Warriors will send forward Ekpe Udoh and injured center Kwame Brown to the Bucks as part of a package for Bogut, one of the NBA's most talented – but also often-injured – centers. The deal will be officially completed later Tuesday night, one executive involved in the trade said."
Warriors' Ekpe Udoh to start over Andris Biedrins
March 6
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Andris Biedrins has lost the starting job he's held with the Warriors for six seasons, and the center says he's "fine" with it. Coach Mark Jackson said before Monday's 120-100 victory over Washington that second-year big man Ekpe Udoh would be the team's starting center for the rest of the season, unless he "falls completely off the map.""
Ellis, Udoh lead Warriors past Clippers at home
February 21
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Warriors head coach Mark Jackson says Patrick Ewing would need to come out of retirement for center Andris Biedrins to lose his starting job. What do you know? It happened. Or, at least Ekpe Udoh masqueraded as the Hall of Fame center in his first start of the season. Udoh played his usual rim-protecting defense and impersonated Ewing with 19 points on 9-for-14 shooting. His career scoring night led the Warriors to a 104-97 victory over the Pacific Division-leading Clippers on Monday evening in front of Oracle Arena's eighth sellout of the season."
Udoh's improved play coincides with Golden State's improved record
February 15
Oakland Tribune
 
"Second-year big man Ekpe Udoh hasn't scored in double figures in a month and has grabbed at least five rebounds thrice in the same span. But in the Warriors' recent stretch of success, especially the current three-game win streak, Udoh has been a key ingredient. "I'm certainly pleased with what he's doing on the floor," coach Mark Jackson said Monday night after a victory over Phoenix. "The guy is playing great basketball, and I'm really pleased that he's responding." The Warriors have won six of their past nine games, with two of the losses to Oklahoma City, owner of the league's best record. So it's safe to say Golden State is playing its best basketball of the season. If they beat"
Ekpe Udoh makes an impact inside for Warriors
February 15
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"When the Warriors started the season 2-6 and Ekpe Udoh had only four blocked shots in nearly 142 minutes, the second-year forward said the media needed to hold him accountable. Now that the Warriors have won three straight games, during which Udoh has blocked nine shots, the media needs to give him some praise. The soft-spoken 6-foot-10, 240-pounder would never admit it, but he's playing at a game-altering level. His basket with 35.9 seconds left was the Warriors' lone field goal in the final 5:42 of Monday's win over Phoenix, and he had an important block of Markieff Morris' layup attempt down the stretch."
Warriors' Ekpe Udoh searches for consistency
February 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"For seven minutes Tuesday, Ekpe Udoh was the guy the Warriors envisioned when they took him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft. During a 12-point fourth-quarter run, he had two points, five rebounds and two blocked shots. He was the anchor of a defense that forced two shot-clock violations, drew a charge and deflected a ball to Klay Thompson for a steal. Udoh was a difference-maker and a glue guy."
Warriors: Monroe game shows what Udoh must do
January 17
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"There is a mountain of differences in the games of Ekpe Udoh and Greg Monroe, but the most telling difference might be in how their franchises talk about them. The Warriors talk about how Udoh needs to develop. The Pistons talk about how much Monroe has developed. "We know he's going to defend and block shots, but we need to see a little more," Warriors general manager Larry Riley said of Udoh. "He's played enough basketball that we'd like to see some growth.""
2 NBA players caught in college investing scandal
July 27
CBSSports.com
 
"Last week, Gary Parrish and Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reported that David Salinas, a Houston, Texas, AAU director and investment manager, committed suicide following an SEC investigation into his financial dealings. In the week since that news broke, CBSSports.com has linked a number of big-time college coaches to Salinas, with some investing more than $1 million with him. On Tuesday, SI.com reported that it wasn't just college coaches who got taken for a ride by Salinas. Indeed, two NBA players reportedly invested money with him as well. Two NBA players, 2010 Warriors lottery pick Ekpe Udoh ($350,000) and former Wizards swingman Cartier Martin ($374,000), were confirmed to be"
Warriors exercise contract options for Stephen Curry, Ekpe Udoh
June 30
CSN Bay Area
 
"Guard Stephen Curry and forward Ekpe Udoh had their contract options picked up by the Warriors Wednesday. For Curry it was a fourth-year option and for Udoh it was for year three. The moves were expected. Curry averaged 18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game last season. Udoh posted averages of 4.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks."
Smart lauds improving Udoh
February 14
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"One game after Ekpe Udoh had the most impressive outing of his rookie season, Warriors coach Keith Smart finally got around to offering the frontcourt player equally impressive comments. Smart said Udoh, just 29 games into his career, is becoming the team's best perimeter defender and already might be the Warriors' top back-to-the-basket scorer. "He's developing so fast because he is doing such a rapid job of being a student," Smart said. "He's getting into better shape. He didn't have the summer league or the preseason to get his body into NBA shape. Now he's starting to get there." Udoh scored a personal-high 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting at Phoenix on Thursday, and he tied his career"
Warriors rookie Ekpe Udoh fights to avoid bust tag
January 28
Oakland Tribune
 
"Warriors rookie Ekpe Udoh was the No. 6 overall pick in the draft in June. Yet, he is often glued to the bench, playing 20 minutes or more just three times. So, what does that mean? He's not ready? He was the wrong pick? "We've not seen much of him," general manager Larry Riley said, "but I'm comfortable with what he's doing. We're not even concerned that he's going to eventually prove his worth. We're not disappointed with what he's doing when he's on the floor." Fans and media are calling for more Udoh. Some even suggest the 23-year-old rookie from Baylor should start at center with Andris Biedrins struggling. Biedrins has just two points and six rebounds in his past 43 minutes. But"
Udoh out 6 months
July 15
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"No. 6 overall draft pick Ekpe Udoh will have his surgically repaired left wrist immobilized for 10 weeks and will miss six months, according to the Warriors. The power forward had surgery in San Francisco on Wednesday, and the extent of the torn ligament was so severe that he is expected to miss the maximum time. If all goes well with rehabilitation, Udoh could play the final three months of his rookie season."
Warriors rookie Ekpe Udoh has successful wrist surgery, will be sidelined six months
July 15
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Warriors first-round draft pick won't make his debut until January at the earliest. Rookie power forward Ekpe Udoh, the No. 6 overall pick in last month's draft, had successful surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left hand in San Francisco on Wednesday. He is expected to miss six months, the team announced. "Just one of those things," Warriors general manager Larry Riley said. "It's a shame that he has to wait. But I have no doubt that he is going to prove to be worthy of that pick. I feel good about his ability. I feel bad about the injury." Udoh missed all of summer league after, according to the team, he injured his left wrist while working out with point guard Stephen Curry on"
Udoh probably out 4-6 months
July 13
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"As expected, the Warriors announced Monday that Ekpe Udoh, the sixth pick in last month's draft, is scheduled to undergo left wrist surgery Wednesday. But that doesn't close the book on this case. It has been confirmed that the injury is a torn ligament and that Udoh will probably miss four to six months. However, there is some mystery surrounding the rookie's injury. A Warriors news release said the 6-foot-10 power forward from Baylor was injured in a supervised workout at the team's Oakland facility July 4. Udoh said it happened that day while attempting a dunk; point guard Stephen Curry said it happened while catching a routine pass from director of athletic development Mark Grabow; and"
Golden State Warriors rookie Ekpe Udoh needs wrist surgery, could miss four to six months
July 13
Oakland Tribune
 
"Warriors rookie power forward Ekpe Udoh will have surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. How long he will be out won't be known until the surgery is complete, but there have been multiple reports that Udoh could miss four to six months. Ideally, rehabilitation from this kind of surgery takes three to four months, according to the medical website eorthopod.com. But how long will depend on the severity of the tear, the success of the surgery and how well Udoh's wrist heals. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Bill Green, a hand surgeon in San Francisco who evaluated Udoh's wrist Monday. Udoh also was examined by a hand specialist in Los Angeles on Friday. Udoh,"
Now it's first-round pick Udoh who's injured
July 8
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Given that he never missed a game in 103 collegiate chances, the one certainty about Ekpe Udoh's professional career was supposed to be his durability. That was, until he was selected No. 6 overall last month by Golden State, where things are seemingly never that simple. Udoh will not play on the Warriors' summer league squad because of an undiagnosed left wrist injury, the team announced Wednesday - a day before their Las Vegas practices begin. The 6-foot-10 power forward from Baylor was injured in a supervised workout at the team's Oakland facility Sunday. Udoh will have his wrist evaluated this week to determine the exact injury and a rehabilitation plan. The 23-year-old was given the"
Warriors' top pick Ekpe Udoh sidelined with wrist injury
July 8
Oakland Tribune
 
"Ekpe Udoh, the Golden State Warriors' No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft last month, will miss the Summer League after suffering a left wrist injury. Udoh, who signed a contract with the Warriors for undisclosed terms on Wednesday, suffered the injury during a supervised workout last Sunday evening at the team's practice facility in Oakland. Udoh was working out with teammate Stephen Curry and Summer League teammate Joe Ingles. "Obviously we're disappointed that this has occurred and that Ekpe will not play in the Summer League," said Warriors' general manager Larry Riley. "By voluntarily returning to the Bay Area this past weekend to participate in supervised workouts, Ekpe has already"
Udoh jump-starts Bear market
June 25
Houston Chronicle
 
"It has been over a decade since a Baylor player was selected in the NBA draft. On Thursday night, Epke Udoh put the Bears back on the map. Udoh was Baylor's highest-ever pick, No. 6, and was taken by the Golden State Warriors. Much like he did during the 2009-10 season, when Baylor advanced to the Elite Eight, Udoh brought positive attention to the once-embattled program. "I am really proud to be here because Baylor is a great school and coach (Scott) Drew has taken us out of the darkness," Udoh said. "I think I will be the first of a few to come out of the program in the next few years." Udoh, a 6-10 forward, led Baylor with 9.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. Prior to Thursday, draft"
Warriors draft Baylor power forward Ekpe Udoh
June 25
Contra Costa Times
 
"The Warriors passed up the best remaining center in the draft and the chance to bolster a position at which they admittedly need help. Why? "Our overall evaluation, was that it was better to go with Ekpe Udoh," Warriors general manager Larry Riley said after the Warriors selected Udoh with the sixth pick of the NBA draft Thursday. "You've got to take the best player, the best talent. Was there anybody there that was close enough in talent level that needed to be considered? The answer was no." Riley said Udoh, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound power forward out of Baylor, was the Warriors' choice because of his "all-around skills," his defensive presence and his ability to contribute immediately."