RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's men's basketball program added two players for the 2022-23 season on Wednesday, including the first-ever ESPN four-star recruit to sign as a freshman.
 
Leland Walker, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Indianapolis, and John Ukomadu, a 6-foot-7 forward, will join the Colonels next season.  In addition to being rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Walker is ranked as the 39th best point guard in the nation.  Ukomadu is a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American. 
 
EKU is one of only three teams in the nation, who is not a member of the Southeastern Conference, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, Atlantic Coast Conference or Big East, to sign a top-40 rated point guard.  Eastern Kentucky, Texas and Auburn are the only three programs in the country to sign two top-40 rated point guards.
 
Walker and Ukomadu join a recruiting class that already includes Tayshawn Comer and Turner Buttry, who signed with EKU in November.  Comer, a three-star recruit, is ranked by ESPN as the 40th best point guard in the nation.  Buttry was chosen as Kentucky's Mr. Basketball.
 
Eastern Kentucky's class reached a ranking of 66th in the nation by 247Sports.  In front of such programs as Louisville (68th), Oklahoma State (72nd), Arizona (74th), Tennessee (75th), Mississippi State (79th) and Texas A&M (85th).  It is the highest rated EKU class in the internet recruiting era.
 
Walker played at Hargrave Military Academy during the 2021-22 season, helping the Tigers to a 37-5 record.  He averaged 16 points, seven assists, five rebounds and one steal per game.  The 185-pound Walker knocked down 39 percent of his attempts from 3-point range. 
 
"Leland is one of the best guards in the country," EKU Head Coach A.W. Hamilton said.  "He's ultra dynamic, competitive, fearless and a winner.  Our fans are going to absolutely love Leland."
 
Before playing at Hargrave, Walker starred at North Central High School in Indianapolis.  He averaged 19 points, four assists, three rebounds and one steal per game as a junior.  In the Indiana Junior All-Star Game last summer, Walker scored 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field.
 
Ukomadu averaged 14 points, six rebounds, two blocks, two steals and two assists per game while shooting 55 percent from the field as a sophomore this past season at Macomb Community College.  The 195-pound Bloomfield, Michigan native also connected on 34 percent of his 3-point attempts (23-for-68).  In addition to being chosen as a second team NJCAA All-American, Ukomadu was selected to the all-region team, the all-conference team, the conference all-defensive team and was picked as the conference defensive player of the year.
 
Macomb finished the season with a 25-5 record and won its first conference championship since 1993.
 
"John is one of the most versatile forwards in the country," said Hamilton.  "He's super athletic with tremendous length and has a great motor. He fits our pressing and up-tempo style perfectly."
 
Ukomadu played two seasons at Vincennes University.  He averaged 7.0 points, six rebounds and one block per game while shooting 48 percent from the field in 2020-21.