Michigan Basketball scored a major win earlier this week when they landed former Tennessee forward Olivier Nkamhoua, one of the top names in the Transfer Portal. A 6’8 forward originally from Helsinki, Finland, Nkamhoua moved to America during his high school career, starring at Bishop Walsh in Maryland. He arrived on campus at Tennessee in 2019 and spent the last four seasons with the Volunteers.
Nkamhoua played minimal role off the bench in his first two seasons in Knoxville, averaging less than 3 points per game to start his career. For his junior year, Nkamhoua was a much more impactful player, working his way into the starting lineup, averaging 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Volunteers. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury in early February and missed Tennessee’s brief postseason run.
This past season saw Nkamhoua emerge as an even more impactful weapon at Tennessee. Only Santiago Vescovi scored more points for the Volunteers this past season, with Nkamhoua averaging 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He was again a full-time starter and would score a career-high 27 points against Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, helping lead the Volunteers to the Sweet Sixteen.
Now, Nkamhoua becomes a much needed weapon for a Michigan program that has shed a ton of talent in recent seasons. All-American big man Hunter Dickinson transferred to Kansas this offseason and Nkamhoua’s addition helps shore up some of that loss. He becomes a major boost to a frontcourt leaning on Tray Jackson, Tarris Reed, and Terrance Williams and will have a chance to be an impact scorer for the Wolverines as well.
Last season, Dickinson, Kobe Bufkin, and Jett Howard all averaged at least 14 points a game, meaning Nkamhoua slides into a program where he can be an important piece of the offense. The Wolverines briefly landed transfer Caleb Love before admissions forced him out of the program, and landing Nkamhoua was a great move to save their offseason from being a total catastrophe.
Michigan has shed significant talent and are depending on some new faces to step into bigger roles. Fortunately, Nkamhoua’s addition gives them a bona fide defender and important piece for next season. The Wolverines won’t exactly be picked as a favorite in the Big Ten with all the changes in the rotation, but you can expect to see Nkamhoua standing out in his fifth and final season of college basketball this upcoming year.