NCAAB Olivier Nkamhoua transfers to Michigan from Tennessee basketball
Olivier Nkamhoua is transferring from Tennessee basketball to Michigan, he announced on Twitter on Wednesday.
Nkamhoua took an official visit to Michigan over the weekend before visiting Baylor following his decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft on May 31 and transfer.
Nkamhoua entered the transfer portal on March 30 after completing his paperwork to enter the NBA Draft. He entered the transfer portal to keep his college options open and to allow him to maintain his eligibility. He took part in the NBA’s G League Elite camp in Chicago in May. Nkamhoua has one season of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nkamhoua averaged 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds as a senior. He had a pair of huge performances in some of the biggest wins of the season and was the only UT player to start all 36 games.
The 6-foot-8 forward had 27 points and five rebounds in Tennessee's 65-52 win against Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He scored 23 second-half points, powering UT to its first Sweet 16 since 2019 with a torrid scoring stretch.
Nkamhoua also had a starring game against Texas on Jan. 28 at Thompson-Boling Arena. He had 27 points and eight rebounds against the Longhorns.
Nkamhoua averaged 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 112 games with 58 starts at Tennessee. He became a staple of the lineup in his final two seasons with the Vols. He shot 51.8% and 36.4% on 3-pointers, expanding his range and his shooting ability later in his career. He averaged 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds as a junior before suffering a season-ending left ankle injury at South Carolina in February 2022.
Nkamhoua was one of four Vols seniors who had the option to use an extra season. Guards Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James elected to return to Tennessee. James likely will be a walk-on as Tennessee already allocated its 13 scholarships prior to James' decision to withdraw from the draft and return to UT. Uros Plavsic entered the NBA Draft and indicated he intends to play professional basketball next season.
Nkamhoua signed with Tennessee as a three-star recruit in the 2019 class out of Bishop Walsh School in Maryland.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Olivier Nkamhoua transfers to Michigan from Tennessee basketball
