Miami transfer center Michael Nwoko talks Mississippi State decision
Mississippi State added its second transfer in this cycle on Wednesday afternoon with the addition of Miami center Michael Nwoko, a native of Canada. The 6-foot-10 and 240-pound Nwoko was rated as the nation’s No. 18 center in the Class of 2023 and was a four-star prospect by On3 rankings.
This past season as a freshman at Miami, Nwoko averaged 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.9 minutes a game. He shot 55.9% from the field and 61.1% from the foul line. Last month the Bulldogs picked up their first transfer in former Penn State guard Kanye Clary.
“I really connected with Coach (Chris) Jans,” said Nwoko. “He’s been recruiting me ever since I went into the portal. It is a place I fit and a place I can help them win.”
Along with Mississippi State, Nwoko said Arizona State, Michigan and Xavier were the other main schools recruiting him. This coming weekend Nwoko will get his first look at Mississippi State’s program when he officially visits the Bulldogs.
“I will be visiting this Friday and I can’t wait,” Nwoko remarked. “I am very much so looking forward to that trip. I want to see the campus and just get a feel for my teammates.”
During his evaluation process, one thing that stood out to Nwoko was the success of former Bulldog center Tolu Smith, who earned All-SEC status the past two seasons. He also noted of the success Jans has had in Starkville in his first two seasons at the helm.
“Obviously, Tolu Smith is gone,” noted Nwoko. “So they need guys to help fill those roles. That was a big thing for me and I like how Coach Jans uses his offense. I really like Coach Jans as a person and how determined he is to help Mississippi State win.
“Coach Jans had had a lot of success there and I want to help them add to their success. Like I said, I saw how much success they had with Tolu the past couple of years. The impact he had there is something that definitely attracted me to Mississippi State.”
During his prep career at Prolific (N.C.) Prep, Nwoko held over two dozen Power 6 offers along with numerous mid-major offers. But this time around the recruiting trail, he had a different mindset.
“I am glad I found my right fit,” mentioned Nwoko. “It was crazy for awhile and a whole lot of phone calls. But I Feel like I approached this differently than I did coming out of high school. I took my time and looked at everyone and found the right fit.”
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Nwoko is set to enroll at Mississippi State in June and naturally, he is ready to hit the ground running.
“I get there in June and I am ready,” Nwoko added. “I want to keep working on my game and get to know my new teammates. I am ready to get to work.”
Returnees
So. guard Josh Hubbard
Sr. forward Cameron Matthes
Jr. wing Shawn Jones
So. center Gai Chol
So. wing Adrian Myers
So. Martavious Russell
2024 signee/commitment
PG Dellquan Warren (signed)
PF Eric Paymon (commitment)
Transferring in
Jr. guard Kanye Clary (Penn State transfer)
So. center Michael Nwoko (Miami transfer)
Transferring out
Sr. guard Trey Fort
Sr. forward Jaquan Scott
Sr. guard Shakeel Moore
Jr. forward KeShawn Murphy
