Ongenaet played two years at Syracuse after transferring from Cuesta College in California.
Kristof Ongenaet was born in Ghent, Belgium where he would excel in basketball. Ongenaet would grow into a solid player in his youth, earning him a spot on the Belgium Junior National Team. The tall forward would move to the states in 2006 and play junior college ball at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Calif. There, KO would eventually set the school's all-time record in rebounds, a skill that would carry over as a Syracuse Orange.
After playing two years at Cuesta College, Ongenaet would transfer to Syracuse despite having offers from Northwestern, Colorado and Kansas State.