Ernest Udeh Jr. agreed to a two-way deal with Cleveland after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-11 and 266-pound center put up 6.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 72.7% from the field. He earned All-ACC Defensive Team honors after becoming the anchor of a Miami team that won 26 games and reached the NCAA Tournament second round.
The Cavs have signed undrafted Miami center Ernest Udeh Jr. to a two-way contract
— SleeperCavs (@SleeperCleCavs) June 25, 2026
The 6’11 266 center averaged 6.2 PPG and 9.2 RPG on 72.7% shooting last season pic.twitter.com/v3jUKuPWzb
The stats that Cavaliers fans should know
Miami finished the season with 1,310 total rebounds and Udeh had 305 of them. He collected 102 offensive rebounds and 203 defensive rebounds in 33 games, or more than 23% of all Miami rebounds. He also had 46 of the Hurricanes' 116 blocks and added 34 steals, unusual production for a center who just went undrafted.
For all of his defensive prowess, Udeh is not exactly a scoring threat beyond the paint. All 121 of his field-goal attempts at Miami came inside the arc and he made 88 of them.
His best performances at Miami
Udeh opened the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds against Jacksonville and followed that with 14 points and 15 rebounds against ULM. He then had back-to-back double-doubles against Wake Forest and Georgia Tech during Miami's early ACC slate.
His best all-around performance came in Miami's 75-66 win over No. 11 North Carolina. Udeh had 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Hurricanes controlled the paint 46-28.
More Ernest Udeh performances
- 17 rebounds at No. 22 Clemson (Four came on the offensive end and 13 on the defensive end)
- Against Boston College, he finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
- At SMU, he had eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
- He had seven points, nine rebounds and three blocks in Miami's ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Louisville.
- In the NCAA Tournament opener against Missouri, he grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds as Miami won 80-66.
Ernest Udeh's basketball background
Udeh was a McDonald's All-American at Orlando's Dr. Phillips High School and entered college as one of the country's better-regarded frontcourt recruits. He began at Kansas in 2022-23, where he played 30 games for a 28-8 Big 12 champion. He averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.4 minutes while shooting 75.6% from the floor. He also had 18 blocks and 20 steals as a freshman, including four blocks against Duke.
His two seasons at TCU gave him a larger role that he didn't have at Kansas. In 2024-25, Udeh averaged 6.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He ranked third in the Big 12 with 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, while 52 of his 71 made field goals were dunks. That season earned him honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition.
What will Ernest Udeh need to improve?
Udeh made just 44 of 86 free throws, which works out to 51.2% from the line. NBA teams will test whether he can stay playable late in close games.
He also committed 79 fouls and fouled out twice, which makes discipline another development point.
Still, Udeh has prototypical NBA size, produced at a high level on the glass and was one of the best rim protectors in the country last year.
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