Uzodinma Utomi (born March 7, 1997), better known as Daniel Utomi, is an American-born Nigerian[1] professional basketball player for Pistoia Basket 2000 of the Serie A2 Basket. He played college basketball for USC and Akron.
| Pistoia Basket 2000 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Serie A2 Basket |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1997-03-07) March 7, 1997 (age 25) Houston, Texas |
| Nationality | Nigerian / American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2020 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020 | Kauhajoki Karhu |
| 2021 | Vichy-Clermont |
| 2021–present | Pistoia Basket 2000 |
Utomi attended Westside High School in Houston, Texas. As a junior, he was named to the First-Team All-District. Utomi averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds per game as a junior, shooting 46 percent from three-point range. He garnered District Most Valuable Player honors after helping lead the Wolves to a 21-9 record and a spot in the regional tournament last season.[2] In April 2015, Utomi committed to play college basketball at Akron.[3]
After playing in two games as a true freshman, Utomi suffered a foot injury and was forced to redshirt the season.[4] Utomi averaged 4.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game as a redshirt freshman. He took on a leadership role during his redshirt sophomore season due to the departure of much of the team as well as coach Keith Dambrot.[5] On November 18, 2017, Utomi scored a career-high 32 points and made a career-high seven three-pointers in a 76-59 win against UT Martin.[6] As a redshirt sophomore, he averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 40.6 percent from behind the arc. Utomi led Akron in scoring as a redshirt junior with 14.2 points per game while also averaging 5.5 rebounds 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, earning Honorable Mention All-Mid-American Conference recognition. Following the season, he decided to transfer to USC as a graduate transfer, choosing the Trojans over North Carolina, Kansas, and Virginia.[4] Utomi was ranked the 23rd best graduate transfer according to ESPN.[7] On February 15, 2020, he scored a season-high 23 points in a 70-51 victory over Washington State.[8] As a senior, Utomi averaged 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.[9]
On July 18, 2020, Utomi signed with Kauhajoki Karhu of the Finnish Korisliiga.[10] In his debut on October 13, he scored 25 points in an 84-82 loss to Helsinki Seagulls.[11] Utomi averaged 12.6 points per game shooting 53.7 percent from three-point range. He bought out of his contract on December 4.[12] On February 22, 2021, Utomi signed with JA Vichy-Clermont Métropole Basket of the LNB Pro B.[13] He averaged 11.9 points and 3 rebounds per game. On September 11, 2021, Utomi signed with Pistoia Basket 2000 of the Serie A2 Basket.[14]
He has been part of Nigeria's national team at the AfroBasket 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda.[1]