James Okonkwo signs with North Carolina

The rising junior was a defensive force for the Mountaineers this past season.

Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal/USA Today Sports

The recruitment of West Virginia transfer James Okonkwo was anything but traditional, as the 6-foot-8 forward committed to North Carolina without visiting Chapel Hill.

With the dismissal of longtime head coach Bob Huggins, it was an accelerated recruitment of Okonkwo, who recently competed with Great Britain's U20 team in the Division B European Championships.

On Friday, the university announced the signing of Okonwko, making his transfer to Chapel Hill official.

James Okonkwo ➡️ signed 🙌 pic.twitter.com/GUabbnQubP

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) July 28, 2023

With this, came the ability for head coach Hubert Davis to share his thoughts on the former Mountaineer.

"We are thrilled to have James and his family join our UNC basketball family," says head coach Hubert Davis in a press release. "We needed another experienced big man that could do multiple things on the floor, both offensively and defensively. James checks all those boxes. He's also a wonderful kid, a great student and fits perfectly with the makeup of this team."

The Maidenhead, England native led West Virginia in blocks (22) and finished second with a 57.4 shooting percentage this past season.

Okonkwo appeared in 31 games for the Mountaineers, averaging 2.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.

He is expected to provide elite rim protection for the Tar Heels with the ability to score down low. While he will likely backup Armando Bacot or the four-spot, Okonkwo can develop and find a starting role in the 2024-2025 campaign.

As a rising junior, he gives North Carolina a deep frontcourt, joining Bacot, Jae'Lyn Withers, Jalen Washington, and Zayden High.

How will Okonkwo add to the Tar Heels' goal of bouncing back from a disappointing 2022-2023 campaign?