Michigan Basketball: Transfer target Olivier Nkamhoua now visiting Kansas State

Michigan basketball is hoping it can Olivier Nkamhoua from the transfer portal but there’s been another change in his recruitment as he takes a new visit. 

Olivier Nkamhoua is still at the top of the wish list for Michigan basketball when it comes to the transfer portal, at least in the frontcourt.

There are some other important targets for the Wolverines on the wing and in the backcourt. Michigan basketball still has three open scholarships, but with the deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft approaching, the Wolverines should have some more targets soon.

Julian Phillips is one decision to watch. Michigan basketball reached out to the former five-star who is an elite defender. It sounds like he’s going to stay in the draft, but he’s on the fence and if he returned to college, Michigan basketball could have a shot.

Nkamhoua is still the top target at the four spot and would be a great fit for what the Wolverines need. He averaged just under 11 points per game last season for Tennessee and would probably have an even higher usage rate for Michigan.

The Wolverines don’t really have any proven scorers on the roster right now. Jaelin Llewellyn is the only player on the team that’s averaged double-digit scoring over the course of a season, so more proven scoring options are needed.

The trouble with Nkamhoua is that he’s got plenty of options. He visited West Virginia this weekend. It’s hard to say how it went, but he did leave Morgantown without a commitment because he’s now visiting Kansas State according to Joe Tip of On3.com.

Kansas State is fresh off a Final Four appearance and my guess is that the Wildcats would have a large role to offer than West Virginia.

Obviously, it’s less than ideal for the Wolveines. His next visit is supposed to be to Michigan and the Wolverines just need to get him on campus. I think Juwan will be able to seal the deal, although the NIL aspect still concerns me.

However, Juwan can really help him improve his draft stock and that’s probably worth more than NIL in the long run anyway.

Still, another team entering the mix and getting a visit makes me feel less confident in Michigan’s chances. As long as he makes it to Ann Arbor though, U-M should have a good shot.