Oklahoma has finished its offseason overhaul. It comes with a bang, as the Sooners just received a commitment from Jeff Nwankwo, a former Oklahoma preps player.
Nwankwo played high school basketball and football at Putnam City North. In football, he helped lead the team to an 8-2 record, a conference title, a district title, and an appearance in the state playoff in 2020 as a wide receiver.
He was also accomplished on the basketball court, but his upside as a football player earned him an offer from Tulane, which he accepted.
He signed with Tulane and didn’t appear in the 2021 season. He would give up playing football and head to junior college to play basketball. He ended up at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas.
There, his true athletic calling began to reveal itself. He started 16 of 19 games in 2022, averaging 10. 7 PPG on about 25 minutes of playing time per game. He shot 35 percent from distance.
He initially committed to Marist University but returned to Cowley for one more go last year. There, he would put together an incredible campaign.
Nwankwo averaged 18.6 points and 7.6 rebounds and shot 37 percent on 3-pointers to earn first-team NJCAA All-America honors this season.
The talented wing committed to Mark Madsen and the Cal Bears on April 13 before reopening his recruitment on Tuesday. Twenty-four hours later, he committed to Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners.
100% Committed! ⭕️ pic.twitter.com/lTiB7lWaFJ
— jeff nwankwo (@NwankwoJeff) May 15, 2024
With his commitment, Oklahoma adds more shooting and athleticism to a team that has become loaded with shooters and versatile wing defenders.
At 6-foot-6, Nwankwo can catch and shoot, shoot off the dribble, and showcase the ability to put the ball on the floor, get to the cup, or find open teammates when collapsing a defense. He has two years of eligibility and could factor into Oklahoma’s rotation this upcoming season off his athleticism alone.
With his commitment, Oklahoma is done with the portal additions. The only decision to wait is to see if Jalon Moore, Oklahoma’s presumptive leader for this upcoming season and the most impactful returner from last year’s team, decides to return or if he will stay in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Moore has until May 29 to make his decision and withdraw his name.
Either way, Oklahoma seems set on all fronts to attack 2024 with the group assembled. This team is set to play the school’s first season in the SEC and hope to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Porter Moser.
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