Michigan basketball lands Olivier Nkamhoua from the transfer portal
Michigan basketball got a huge boost for its 2023 season when Tennessee transfer Olivier Nkamhoua pledged to Juwan Howard and his staff. The Wolverines beat out West Virginia, Kansas State, Baylor, and others for the grad student.
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U-M was an early favorite and seemed on the verge of landing Nkamhoua when he first announced his intentions. Other schools made their pitches, however, and at one point Michigan was even reportedly eliminated. It seemed to be a West Virginia vs. Baylor battle.
But Michigan finally brought Nkamhoua into the mix after a June 3 weekend visit. He’ll have one year of eligibility remaining.
Nkamhoua averaged 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game for the Vols this season, shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the 3-point line, where he went 18-for-54. His immediate goal, Vols coach Rick Barnes said, was to be a pro.
“He told us that his dad wanted him to put his name in the portal, which is a decision they have to make,” Barnes said. “From day one, our conversation with him has been that his ultimate goal was to try and put himself in a position to be a professional athlete next year.”
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Before visiting Michigan, Nkamhoua took part in the NBA G League Elite camp in Chicago, measuring in at 6’8 1/4” barefoot with a 7’0 1/4” wingspan and an 8’10 1/2” standing reach per VolQuest.com. His hands were 10 1/2 inches wide and he weighed in at 229 pounds at 5.7 percent body fat.
The power forward scored 12 points on 3-for-6 shooting from the floor in his first scrimmage and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line, adding two rebounds, two assists and a pair of turnovers. He notched five points on 2-for-5 shooting in the second game, including 1-for-2 from the 3-point line. He had two rebounds, two steals, a turnover and three fouls.
Howard and his coaches have been working hard to fill the roster, and they’ve gotten pledges from a pair in Seton Hall transfer Tray Jackson and Alabama wing Nimari Burnett. North Carolina’s Caleb Love was a commitment for a while — that one, though, came down to academics, forcing his de-commitment. He ended up at Arizona.
Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves remains one of the big names out there should he not return to the Wildcats. Reeves, though, has yet to announce his plans, and there are others in contention, including Memphis. It would be hard to call Michigan a favorite here if he does decide to transfer.
Nkamhoua, though, is a huge piece of the puzzle for Michigan in 2023.
