Top-150 star Nwoko picks Hurricanes

The Hurricanes picked up the first commitment in their 2023 basketball on Thursday.

Four-star prospect Michael Nwoko, from Prolific Prep in Napa, California, chose Miami over offers from nearly two dozen other teams, including Georgia Tech, Providence and Vanderbilt. He announced his choice on 247Sports’ YouTube channel.

“It just felt like home,” Nwoko said on the broadcast. “Coach [Larrañaga] is a great coach, Hall of Fame coach. I felt like I could fit in his system well. So I thought that was the main thing that influenced my decision.”

Nwoko, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound center, is listed as the No. 13 center and No. 107 player in the 2023 class in the 247Sports’ composite rankings.

“I know I can go there and contribute from Day 1,” Nwoko said. “That’s another main reason why I went there.”

Nwoko took official visits to Providence, High Point, Georgia Tech and UCLA in addition to an official visit to Miami on Sept. 23, according to 247Sports.

The Hurricanes are coming off one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history, reaching the NCAA tournaments Elite Eight for the first time. Miami went 26-11, falling to eventual champion Kansas in the Elite Eight.