Sophomore center Michael Nwoko handling adjustments while prepping for first season at Mississippi State

Michael Nwoko faces a lot of adjustments this season and those adjustments are related to on and off the court at Mississippi State. The former On3 four-star center spent his first season of college basketball at Miami and in the ACC. But now he makes the move to the SEC and will have a bigger role this season.

Overall, Mississippi State has big shoes to fill at the center position and brought in Nwoko and former Rhode Island transfer Jeremy Foumena from the transfer portal this offseason. Rising sophomore Gai Chol is also back in the mix at center as State looks to replace Tolu Smith and Jimmy Bell in the post.

On Thursday, Nwoko sat down with local media to discuss some of those transitions and to reflect on his summer progress as a Bulldog:

Q: How’s the transition from Miami to Mississippi State been for you?
Nwoko: Going from an offensive-oriented team to more of a defensive-oriented team, it’s been a big change but nothing I can’t handle. Obviously there’s a lot more running and now I’m in a groove with it. It’s not easy running and it’s very intense. I was worried about it but I like it.

Q: Tolu Smith drew a lot of double teams in previous seasons and State’s backcourt wasn’t that deep with good shooters. How does this year’s backcourt help the guys at center?
Nwoko: It definitely plays a part. There’s a lot of great guards we’re playing with and it can make it a lot easier. Teams can’t double-team and we have a lot of guys we can pass to out of the post. So teams will pay for that if they do that. We have good bigs that can go 1 on 1 and score a bucket time-in and time-out. Definitely playing with good guards makes it easier.

Q: How important is it for you to take on a much larger role this year than you had last year?
Nwoko: I feel a lot of that has to do with just being ready mentally, just staying ready all the time. That’s the main thing. Just coming in and listening to what coach and the staff have to say to me, learn day in and day out to be the best I possibly can.

Q: There’s a lot of playing time to earn in the frontcourt. How do you guys go about that aspect of it in practice?
Nwoko: For sure. We practice day in and day out and we’re competitive every day. You can ask the coaches about that, too. Me, Jeremy (Foumena), Gai Chol are going at it every day. We’re not getting handed anything, as well, so we’re just working to get better and learn.

Q: When you come into a new situation, how much have guys like Chol, KeShawn Murphy and Cameron Matthews helped you to learn your way in this program?
Nwoko: Very beneficial. Those three guys you just mentioned are great leaders. They came in with open arms, helped us figure out what is going on and got us up to speed real quick. To be honest, without those guys things would be a whole lot different for me. So I really appreciate those three guys. Even Hubb (Josh Hubbard), Shawn Jones, Adrian (Myers) and those returnees have been real helpful. I knew some things but they’ve been there for me and helped a lot, for sure.

Q: Yourself, Foumena and Chol are all in the same class. How’s that situation been going with all three of y’all learning at the same pace?
Nwoko: It’s good because at the end of the day, there’s someone breathing down your neck that wants the same thing as you, as well. So you go into practice every day just trying to compete and go for everyone’s head. At the end of the day it is going to make you better no matter the case. Having three people that want the same thing that want the best for themselves and best for the team, it’s all going to make ourselves better no matter what the case is.

Q: Would you say Miami and Starkville are similar?
Nwoko: (laughing) I love Starkville. It’s different and it’s not Miami, for sure. But I’ve lived in a lot of spots but I can definitely say Starkville is nowhere near the worst. It’s quiet and people are very respectful. That is one thing I didn’t expect. People around here are really nice. Coming from a big city, meeting people here has been nice. You can walk outside and get fresh air and see the stars outside. It’s nice and I love it.

Q: How tough is it to just be yourself this season and not try to be what Tolu Smith was?
Nwoko: To be honest, that really doesn’t phase me. I’m here to do what I got to do. At the end of the day I’m not Tolu Smith. I’m Michael Nwoko. You can’t expect me to do the same thing Tolu did because I’m not him. We’re not the same player and we have a different brand of basketball. But don’t get it twisted. Fans should expect big things out of me and all of our bigs. But I can tell you I’m not Tolu. We’re different players and we are our own players. If they are expecting a bunch of production, I definitely think that one of us three or all three are very capable of filling those shoes. They are big shoes to fill, for sure, but we can, especially with the guards we have around us. I think we are capable of that.

Q: What would you say your brand of basketball is?
Nwoko: That’s a great question. Definitely would say it’s energy-based and playing above the rim. I feel like I’m athletic and a good passer, as well, pick and role and that is where I mainly score at.