Olivier Nkamhoua to miss remainder of season after undergoing wrist surgery

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Michigan senior captain Olivier Nkamhoua will be sidelined for the remainder of the season with surgery on his left wrist.

Nkamhoua had been playing through the injury but opted to undergo surgery with an estimated three-to-four-month recovery timeframe.

Nkamhoua transferred to Michigan from Tennessee this offseason to spend his COVID year in Ann Arbor. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 14.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game during his lone season at Michigan. He leads the team in minutes played and has started all 26 games for the Wolverines.

“Decisions like this are never easy,” Nkamhoua said in a statement.. “Playing with this injury became taxing and we knew something had to be done. I feel like I wasn’t able to finish what I came here to do; however, the support and love from the coaches, my teammates and everyone involved with this program has been so amazing.

“Coming to Ann Arbor and having the opportunity to play for a coach like Coach Howard has been something I will cherish. I cannot thank Chris (Williams) and his training staff enough for all they have done for me throughout this season and going forward in my recovery. I am proud to be able to say I was part of this great university. I am proud to be a Michigan Wolverine.”

He considered heading to the NBA Draft last season but opted to transfer, picking Michigan over (reportedly more lucrative) offers from Baylor and West Virginia, among others.

“This is not how things were meant to be for Olivier,” said Juwan Howard. “From the moment he stepped on campus, he brought maturity, class, insight and leadership. I truly feel blessed that I was able to learn a tremendous amount from him both on and off the court. He was a true warrior playing with this injury; however, it was just time to do something. We know this will pass and he will return to have a successful playing career. We are so grateful to have been a small part of his journey.”

Without Nkamhoua, Michigan’s already limited frontcourt depth will be tested as it limps to the finish line in one of its worst seasons in program history. Nkamhoua averaged 33.4 minutes per game, starting at the power forward spot and shouldering the reserve minutes at center.

Redshirt sophomore Will Tschetter is likely to step into the starting lineup to replace Nkamhoua, but the Wolverines will also need contributions from Tray Jackson, Jace Howard (who has missed recent games due to illness), and presumably, everyone else on the roster as they stretch to get to the 200 minutes played each night.

The Wolverines are 8-18 and still have to play Thursday’s road game at Northwestern without Dug McDaniel (academic suspension) and are ranked 341st in bench minutes. There are five games left in the regular season, and Michigan is likely to be an underdog in all five: at Northwestern, Purdue, at Rutgers, at Ohio State, and Nebraska.

Here’s the full University of Michigan release:

 David and Meredith Kaplan Men’s Basketball Head Coach Juwan Howard announced Wednesday (Feb. 21) that graduate transfer Olivier Nkamhoua will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his left wrist. He is expected to have three to four months of recovery.

“Decisions like this are never easy,” said Nkamhoua. “Playing with this injury became taxing and we knew something had to be done. I feel like I wasn’t able to finish what I came here to do; however, the support and love from the coaches, my teammates and everyone involved with this program has been so amazing.

“Coming to Ann Arbor and having the opportunity to play for a coach like Coach Howard has been something I will cherish. I cannot thank Chris (Williams) and his training staff enough for all they have done for me throughout this season and going forward in my recovery. I am proud to be able to say I was part of this great university. I am proud to be a Michigan Wolverine.”

“This is not how things were meant to be for Olivier,” said Howard. “From the moment he stepped on campus, he brought maturity, class, insight and leadership. I truly feel blessed that I was able to learn a tremendous amount from him both on and off the court. He was a true warrior playing with this injury; however, it was just time to do something. We know this will pass and he will return to have a successful playing career. We are so grateful to have been a small part of his journey.”

After four years with Tennessee (2020-23), Nkamhoua came to Ann Arbor as a graduate transfer. Voted team captain at the beginning of the season, he started 26 games for U-M, averaging career bests in points (14.8), rebounds (7.1) and assists (2.7). He set single-season bests for three-point field goals (27), rebounds (185) and minutes played (33.4)

Throughout his collegiate career, Nkamhoua played in 138 games with 84 consecutive starts. He scored more than 1,100 points (1,117), grabbed more than 600 rebounds (612) while adding 183 assists (1.3 apg) with 89 blocks and 52 steals With the Volunteers and helped UT to three straight NCAA appearances (2021, ’22, ’23), the 2023 Sweet 16 as well as the 2022 SEC Tournament title — the first in 43 years.