UM forward Norchad Omier to test NBA Draft, but will maintain collegiate eligibility

Norchad Omier, a key player on the University of Miami Final Four team last month, unexpectedly announced Monday that he is entering his name for consideration in the NBA Draft. He will not hire an agent so he can retain his collegiate eligibility and return to UM if he decides he needs more time to become NBA-ready.

“After dreaming of becoming a Miami Hurricane for years, the opportunity to actually be one has exceeded anything I could have possibly expected,” Omier posted on Instagram. “It was an honor to help bring Miami to heights it has never reached before…As amazing as this year was, it helped solidify another dream I’ve had since I started playing basketball, and that is to reach the NBA…No matter what comes next, I will forever be a Hurricane.”

Omier, the energetic 6-7 Nicaraguan power forward, was the leading rebounder in the NCAA Tournament with 60 rebounds over five games, just ahead of Connecticut’s Adama Sanogo, who had 59 in six games. He averaged a double-double with 13.1 points and 10 rebounds per game over the full season. In his first season since transferring from Arkansas State, Omier established himself as one of the nation’s best rebounders and one of the most impactful big men in the ACC even though he was shorter than many of the centers he faced.

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft was 11:59 p.m. Sunday night. Omier will spend this week through the end of May working out for teams that are interested in him. The NBA Draft Combine is May 15-21 in Chicago for players who are invited. Underclassmen have until midnight May 31 to remove their names from the draft to maintain their collegiate eligibility.

Art “Pilin” Alvarez, who was Omier’s high school coach at Miami Prep and remains a mentor, said Omier loves UM, coach Jim Larranaga, the assistants and his teammates, but felt it was the right time to explore what kind of evaluations he gets from NBA scouts and executives.

UM guard Isaiah Wong tested the NBA waters twice and came back to UM.

“Norchad and I got together to discuss the opportunity to put his name in the NBA and we both came to the decision that this was the right thing for him to do at this time,” Alvarez said. “He wants to test the waters, but definitely leaving his eligibility open to come back to UM. I know he loves the university and depending what the NBA people say, that will dictate what decision Norchad makes in the end.”

If Omier were to leave, it would be a big void to fill for the Hurricanes and some of the top forwards in the transfer portal have already committed to other teams. Among the transfer forwards still considering UM is 6-9 Robbie Beran of Northwestern, who has narrowed his list to Miami, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Beran is a native of Richmond, Virginia, and was highly recruited by Virginia Tech coming out of high school.

The Hurricanes’ Final Four team is losing Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller to the NBA Draft, Harlond Beverly transferred to Wichita State, and Anthony Walker, Favour Aire and Danilo Jovanovich entered the transfer portal but have not chosen new teams.