Uguak was born in Egypt after his family had fled their native Sudan to escape civil war. When he was eight months old, his family settled in Canada. Uguak started out playing Gridiron football but switched to basketball at age 7, inspired by the achievements of his cousin Luol Deng.[1] He attended Harry Ainlay High School in Edmonton, Alberta.[2] Uguak led his team to back-to-back provincial titles.[3] He committed to playing college basketball for New Mexico.[4] He was the highest rated prospect in his class from Alberta.[5]
College career
As a freshman at New Mexico, Uguak averaged 1.2 points per game before leaving the program.[6] For his sophomore season, he transferred to Loyola (Illinois) and sat out for one year due to transfer rules.[7] As a sophomore, Uguak was a regular starter, averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He averaged 5.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a junior.[8] Uguak improved offensively during his senior season.[9] On January 2, 2021, he recorded a career-high 26 points and seven rebounds in a 57–49 win over North Texas.[10] Uguak was named to the Third Team All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and the MVC All-Defensive Team.[9] As a senior, he averaged 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, shooting 61.9 percent from the field. Following the season, Uguak took advantage of the extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] He was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team.[12]