Miami Basketball: Norchad Omier returns to Hurricanes for 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
After flirting with the NBA Draft process, 6’7 forward Norchad Omier has announced that he will return to Miami and play his senior season with the Hurricanes. He was a major part of Miami’s lineup this past season after starring at Arkansas State for the first two seasons of his collegiate career.
Omier has averaged a double-double in each of the first three seasons of his collegiate career and was Sun Belt Player of the Year back in 2022. After emerging as one of the best frontcourt weapons at the mid-major level, Omier announced his intention to transfer and ended up in Miami, playing a major role for Jim Larranaga’s Hurricanes this past season.
As a junior, Omier averaged 13.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game to earn Third Team All-ACC honors. He led the ACC in rebounds, though his shooting numbers were slightly down from his time with the Red Wolves. Regardless, he played a significant role in the Hurricanes getting to the first Final Four in program history, including a 17-rebound effort against Indiana and a pair of double-doubles.
Omier put up some incredible stats and got a chance to highlight his skills in recent weeks. He worked out with several NBA franchises and was at the G League Elite Camp as well. After receiving valuable input, he’s announced his return to Miami and the Hurricanes will certainly be glad to have him back in orange and green.
Obviously, Omier is a major weapon for the Hurricanes. The two top leading scorers from last season (Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong) won’t be back for Miami and the Hurricanes would love even more offensive contributions from Omier. His return also solidifies a frontcourt that recently added former Florida State forward Matthew Cleveland into the mix, giving Miami two very solid pieces at the back end.
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The return of Omier is very clearly great news for a Hurricanes program still riding the high of a Final Four trip. This team will look markedly different this season, but getting three starters back means that Miami could still make some noise this year. Nijel Pack and Wooga Poplar will return alongside Omier. Factor in the addition of Cleveland and the development of a few younger players and we could see another surprise year out of the Hurricanes. We should also look forward to Omier elevating his game in what’s likely his final collegiate campaign.