Another twist for Michigan Basketball and Olivier Nkamhoua

Things have been wild in the recruitment of Olivier Nkamhoua and one day after eliminating Michigan baskeball, the Wolverines are back in the game. 

It’s been a wild few days in the recruitment of former Tennessee forward Olivier Nkamhoua and on Tuesday, there has been yet another twist.

Michigan basketball was reportedly eliminated by Nkamhoua on Monday, who had narrowed the final list down to West Virginia and Baylor. The Baylor Bears even got a crystal ball earlier on Tuesday.

However, the crystal ball had a confidence level of one and later in the day, we found out why as Joe Tipton reported that Michigan basketball is now back in the mix for one of the top power forwards available in the transfer portal.

We have talked for months about how the Wolverines need Nkamhoua and another guard/wing if this team is going to contend for the NCAA tournament, so this would be a massive development.

While Tipton said that Michigan basketball was back in the mix, Andrew Slater hinted that the Wolverines have landed a commitment.

https://twitter.com/Andrew__Slater/status/1666211959631679488

Can Michigan basketball trust it at this point?

I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. Davis Moseley of The Michigan Insider mentioned in a Twitter space that a financial commitment was involved.

It always sound to me like NIL was going to be a factor, so it’s possible that Michigan basketball got some sort of NIL support. There was certainly a groundswell of criticism from fans directed toward athletic director Warde Manuel and others over the situation.

It’s probably not connected, but the timing is sort of funny. Insiders seem to believe that Michigan basketball is going to win out with Nkamhoua. I’ll say that I’ll believe it when I see it, but it would sort of feel like the Wolverines are coming back from the dead.

That’s probably overstating the addition (if it happens) and there are other players who are needed, but Michigan basketball needed something positive.

Olivier Nkamhoua would certainly count as a positive and let’s hope it actually happens.