Why Olivier Nkamhoua made 'the right decision' in choosing Michigan basketball

New Michigan Wolverines basketball forward Olivier Nkamhoua played four seasons at Tennessee, earned his undergraduate degree this spring and is excited for his next chapter in Ann Arbor. Nkamhoua declared for the NBA Draft, went through the G League Elite Camp and weighed his professional options before deciding one more year of college basketball was the best route.

Michigan was the place he wanted to be, after considering other schools, including West Virginia and Baylor.

“It was a great process, and I think I made the right decision,” Nkamhoua said on the ‘Defend The Block’ podcast with host Brian Boesch. “I took my time and I looked at all my options. With [associate head coach] Phil [Martelli] having recruited me out of high school and the relationship I was able to build with [head coach] Juwan [Howard] and all the assistant coaches throughout the process, and even talking to the players, I just felt like it was a place I could come and grow with a bunch of guys that have a similar mindset to myself.”

Nkamhoua, a Finland native, is thankful for his time at Tennessee, where the 6-9, 236-pounder played 112 career games, under head coach Rick Barnes.

“My time in Tennessee meant everything, man,” Nkamhoua said before explaining why it was time to move on to Michigan. “It was a great four years; I loved it there. The community took me in as a young foreign kid. I had only been in America for two years at that time.

“The coaching staff taught me a lot of things. Coach Barnes helped me grow as a player in many ways, and my time there was well-served. I really enjoyed it, and as I graduated, as I grew out of it, it was time for me to move on.

“I’m glad I was able to come to a place like Michigan, who’s that same way — a winning program, great culture with great respect around the country. I just felt like the staff here was going to help me with the next steps of my career.”

Michigan just had two top-15 NBA Draft picks this summer, and has produced 16 selections since 2013. The Wolverines have continuously pumped out professional players, sometimes so quickly that it’s to the program’s detriment in a certain respect (with players leaving earlier than expected). That was appealing to Nkamhoua, who said he gleaned quite a bit from going through the NBA Draft process this offseason.

“Just learning a lot about myself, a lot about the NBA, how you have to prepare, what type of mindset you have to have and the approach that those people at that level have,” the Michigan forward said. “Just learned a couple little things that they want to see me do.

“I’m just going to come here … I’ve had those conversations with Coach Juwan, come here and work on those things still within my own game. Not trying to change the script, not trying to come here and be some kind of brand new player. I just want to improve on the player I already was and maybe show some things that I was already able to do but didn’t have the space and opportunity to show.”

Nkamhoua said Michigan is getting a “very versatile player.”

“I try to be very high energy,” he continued. “I’m a team guy. I can stretch the floor, I can drive the ball and I use my athleticism well.”

He described himself as “very adaptable” and believes he will fit in well with the Michigan system and personnel.

“An easy thing for me to bring is my ball-screen game play,” Nkamhoua said. “I can pop and I can roll, and I can even catch it in that short roll area. That’s something that can adapt to any basketball program. 

“And then things I’m going to have to adapt in is just how they play, what type of offense they run, what my role as a ‘4’ man is going to be here compared to what my role was as a ‘4’ man at Tennessee.

“But after speaking with the staff and everybody, I feel like this was my best move because my acclimation, adaptation isn’t going to be anything outside of myself. I’m still going to be doing things that I’m already good at, and obviously improving at things I need to improve on.”

And he feels the environment at Michigan will be conducive to him getting to the point he needs to reach.