Mississippi State basketball vs Baylor in NCAA tournament reunites former Miami teammates

Yahoo

28-03-2025

RALEIGH, N.C. — Miami basketball went on an 11-day trip to France two summers ago.
The Hurricanes played three exhibition games there while also touring Paris, Normandy and Nice. Michael Nwoko, now a sophomore center with Mississippi State, was a freshman on that Miami team.
Norchad Omier was also on that team, and now plays for Baylor. The two of them were roommates in France and will play each other when the No. 8 seed Bulldogs (21-12) face No. 9 Baylor (19-14) in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday (11:15 a.m. CT, CBS).
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'It was fun,' Nwoko said. 'Definitely going out to France and living that life, it was fun, especially with him.'
The two of them said they exchanged texts on Selection Sunday after the bracket was revealed.
'He's a great player,' Nwoko said. 'We texted when we saw the matchup and just kind of laughed about it.'
'We're excited to play,' Omier said. 'Both of us are competitors, so we're excited to play each other.'
Both Nwoko and Omier are starters in the post, so they could match up against each other during Friday's game.
Omier, a 6-foot-7 forward, is the Bears' leading scorer with 15.9 points per game. He's one of just 11 players in college basketball to average a double-double — he also averages 10.9 rebounds per game — and was named to the All-Big 12 first team.
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Nwoko, a 6-foot-10 center, has started 30 consecutive games and averages 5.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.4 minutes.
'I feel like I know his moves from playing with and against him all of last year, so personally I'm not going for none of that stuff,' Nwoko said. 'That's how I feel about it.'
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Omier played two seasons at Miami and was part of the team that went to the Final Four in 2023. Friday will be Nwoko's first NCAA tournament game. MSU is seeking its first March Madness win since 2008.
'Every kid dreams of this, so that's been a real thought in my head,' Nwoko said. 'Just staying level-headed and getting ready for this game.'
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Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [e-mail] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State vs Baylor in March Madness reunites ex-teammates