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A week ago, junior big man Derrick Walker entered the NCAA transfer portal. Seven days later, Tennessee has picked up a commitment from a power forward prospect.
According to Evan Daniels, Olivier Robinson-Nkamhoua has verbally committed to Tennessee, filling an immediate need on the roster.
2019 forward Olivier Robinson-Nkamhoua just verbally committed to Tennessee, per Bishop Walsh School coach Dan Prete.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) May 7, 2019
Robinson-Nkamhoua is a three-star prospect out of Cumberland, Maryland. He is the 153rd overall player in the 2019 class, according to 247 Sports. Robinson-Nkamhoua checks in at 6-8, 210 pounds.
Tennessee hosted Robinson-Nkamhoua on an official visit over the weekend.
The addition fills the opening that Derrick Walker created last week. Tennessee still potentially has two scholarships to fill, depending on what Grant Williams and Jordan Bone do with their NBA Draft decisions.
Rick Barnes’ main target so far this offseason has been four-star point guard Jalen Cone, who reclassified to the 2019 class earlier this week. Cone will announce his decision on Thursday, picking between his final six schools. Virginia Tech has emerged as the late leader there.
For Robinson-Nkamhoua, he has a shot to contribute right away. If Williams does stay in the draft, Tennessee will need him immediately. John Fulkerson, D.J. Burns and Zach Kent are the guys that we know are coming back in the frontcourt, which leaves the door open for a newcomer to make an impact right away.
Robinson-Nkamhoua chose Tennessee after seeing Pittsburgh and Illinois on official visits. Maryland and Minnesota were two other schools involved in his recruitment.
He moved to the United States from Finland just before his junior season. As a senior, Robinson-Nkamhoua averaged 17 points and 9.5 rebounds, coming off of a broken leg. That injury took his junior season from him, keeping him under the radar during the recruiting process.
Tennessee now has four members of their 2019 recruiting class. Five-star Josiah James and three-star Davonte Gaines arrived on campus Monday. They will be joined by three-star forward Drew Pember soon, and now Robinson-Nkamhoua.