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3 thoughts on Olivier Nkamhoua’s commitment to Michigan Basketball

By Chris Peterson

Tennessee forward Olivier Nkamhoua (13) looks to pass while defended by Florida Atlantic University guard Brandon Weatherspoon (23) during a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game between Tennessee and FAU in Madison Square Garden, Thursday, March 23, 2023.Volsfau0323 0849
Tennessee forward Olivier Nkamhoua (13) looks to pass while defended by Florida Atlantic University guard Brandon Weatherspoon (23) during a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game between Tennessee and FAU in Madison Square Garden, Thursday, March 23, 2023.Volsfau0323 0849 /
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Michigan basketball finally landed Olivier Nkamhoua after a wild recruitment and here are three thoughts for the Wolverines. 

On Monday, Michigan basketball fans were pretty despondent following the news that Olivier Nkamhoua had eliminated the Wolverines as a possibility.

However, by Tuesday afternoon, there were numerous reports about how Michigan basketball was back in the mix. I don’t know how it happened, but Juwan Howard got it done as Nkamhoua finally pledged to the Wolverines on Wednesday.

Unlike Caleb Love, there shouldn’t be any drama with admissions either since Nkamhoua is already a graduate from Tennessee.

No matter how you slice it, this is a big win for Michigan basketball, and here are three thoughts on the addition of Nkamhoua.

A much-needed talent boost

Nkamhoua is a really good addition. His numbers are somewhat modest (10.8 ppg) but he’s flashed much more potential. He scored 27 points last season against Texas and Duke and has seven 20-point games over the past two seasons.

Nkamhoua also performed well at the G-League combine. Probably not good enough to get drafted but he could play professional ball somewhere if he wanted.

The 6-foot-8 power forward is an ideal option for the Wolverines, who definitely needed another body in the frontcourt, especially one that’s a proven low-post scorer.

Tarris Reed has massive potential on both ends of the floor. Reed was actually ranked higher than Jett Howard coming out of high school.

Nkamhoua only averaged 25 minutes a game last season and here’s a look at what he can do on offense according to UMHoops.com:

"“He’s a very effective post-up scorer. He used roughly a third of his offensive plays out of post-ups and finished in the 64th percentile efficiency-wise. Nkamhoua’s game revolves around his ability to operate in close spaces around the basket, finishing at the rim (69%) — he had over 30 dunks last season — passing the ball and cutting. He’s an excellent big-to-big passer and can beat doubles when he has a mismatch against a smaller defender. He’s a great cutter (91st percentile in volume) and is active on the offensive glass. He has great touch around the rim, can finish through contact (7 and ones), and has terrific footwork around the basket.”"

It’s clear Nkamhoua hasn’t really hit his full potential. He’ll have a bigger role and a higher usage at Michigan which will provide the chance to improve his NBA draft stock he’s been after.

That’s why Michigan baskeball always made the most sense, especially with Howard’s history of sending guys to the NBA.

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