COMMIT: Oklahoma hoops sign No. 2 recruit as key man

Oklahoma is bolstering its roster with one of the nation’s top junior college transfers as it gears up for its inaugural SEC season.

Jeff Nwankwo, the second-ranked JUCO prospect in this cycle, committed to Oklahoma on Wednesday. This comes just three days after decommitting from Cal, following a visit to Oklahoma’s campus. Nwankwo had initially committed to Cal last month, but reopened his recruitment on Sunday.

Porter Moser and his staff quickly moved to secure Nwankwo, an Oklahoma City native who attended Putnam City North High. The JUCO All-American from Cowley College in Kansas is the sixth transfer to join OU this offseason, and the second in two days. The Sooners also added Alabama transfer Mohamed Wague on Tuesday, and previously secured High Point guard Duke Miles, Dayton guard Kobe Elvis, Fairfield guard Brycen Goodine, and Long Beach State wing Jadon Jones.

Oklahoma now has 12 of its 13 available scholarship spots filled, with the final one likely going to forward Jalon Moore, who is testing the NBA Draft waters but may return for his senior season. As Moore navigates the pre-draft process, Moser and his staff have worked to rebuild OU’s roster after losing three seniors and five players to the transfer portal, including starting guards Milos Uzan and Javian McCollum, as well as wing Otega Oweh.

Nwankwo, a 6-foot-6 wing, will help fill the gap left by Oweh’s departure. Last season, he averaged 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, two assists, and 1.9 steals per game at Cowley, leading the team to a 28-6 record and the second round of the NJCAA tournament. He shot 48.9% from the field and 37% from three-point range on 5.4 attempts per game.

This marked a significant improvement from his first season at Cowley, where he averaged 10.7 points and seven rebounds per game in 19 appearances, having been sidelined by injury for much of the fall semester. After initially signing with Marist following the 2022-23 season, Nwankwo returned to Cowley and started all 34 games last season.

Before Cowley, Nwankwo spent a season at Tulane as a wide receiver for the football team, redshirting without making an appearance. A former three-star high school prospect, he excelled in both basketball and football at Putnam North. Choosing to focus on basketball, he showcased his athleticism and potential at Cowley, earning First-Team NJCAA All-America honors. He will have two years of eligibility remaining at Oklahoma.