Michael Nzei

Height:
6-8
Weight:
205
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Makurdi, Nigeria
High School:
Our Savior New American (N.Y.)

**2019 BIG EAST SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR**
**2019 BIG EAST MEN'S BASKETBALL SPORT EXCELLENCE AWARD**
**2019 BIG EAST ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM**
**2018 WOODEN LEGACY ALL-TOURNAMENT FIRST TEAM**
**2018 BIG EAST ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM**
**2018 NABC HONORS COURT**
**2017 BIG EAST ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM**
**2017 NABC HONORS COURT**
**2016 BIG EAST ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM**
**2015 BIG EAST ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM**

2018-19: Appeared in all 34 games for the Pirates and made 30 starts...Set career highs in single-season scoring and rebounding...Finished second on the team in rebounds (178) and rebounds per game (5.2)...Had the team's best field goal percentage at .602...Named the 2019 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year...Named to the Div. I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Team...Finished his career with 88 wins, tied for the third-most in school history...Had 16 points, 10 in the second half, in Wooden Semifinal win over Hawai'i (12/23/18)...Posted career-high 21 points and made all 8 field goals in Wooden Title game win over Miami to secure All-Tournament Honors (12/25/18)...First double-double of the season was a 14-point, 10-rebound effort in a huge win over St. John's (12/29/18)...Made first career Big East Honor Roll on Dec. 31...Recorded 12 points on 4-5 shooting in the Pirates' win against Providence (1/30/19)...Scored 18 points and grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds, 8 of them being offensive rebounds, to help the Pirates defeat Georgetown (2/13/19)...Recorded 11 points on 4-4 shooting against St. John's (2/23/19)...Had a huge 10 points and 6 rebounds in the Pirates' win over Marquette (3/6/19)...Recorded 10 points in the Pirates' win over Villanova (3/9/19)...Had 14 points and 15 rebounds to help the Pirates defeat Marquette in the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals (3/15/19)...Started and scored four points against Wofford (3/21/19) to become only the third Pirate in school history to appear in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

2017-18: Played in all 34 games for the Pirates, starting 17...Ranked fourth on the team in rebounds (132) and rebounds per game (3.9)...Had an offensive rebounding percentage above 10 percent for the third straight year...Led the Pirates in field goal percentage (.576) and tied for the team lead in dunks with 11...Posted 10 points and six rebounds in a 75-65 victory against Monmouth in the NIT Season Tip-Off (11/12)…Scored eight points and pulled down four rebounds in a 72-59 win over Vanderbilt in the NIT Season Tip-Off (11/24)…Scored seven points and pulled down four rebounds in an 89-79 victory against No. 22 Texas Tech in the Under Armour Reunion (11/30)…Scored a season-high 14 points in a 90-67 victory against VCU in the Never Forget Tribute Classic (12/9)…Scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds in an 89-68 victory against Wagner (12/20)…Scored 10 points and added five rebounds in a 74-62 win over Manhattan (12/23)…Scored seven points and pulled down a career-best 14 rebounds in a 90-84 BIG EAST opener victory against No. 25 Creighton (12/28)...Added eight points in an 86-70 victory at DePaul (1/28)...Scored six points and pulled down six rebounds against No. 4 Villanova (2/28)...Scored six points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a 77-70 victory over Butler (3/3).

2016-17: Played in all 33 contests for the Pirates and started 14 games, including each of the final 12 of the season...Averaged 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds on the season...had two double-doubles as a starter...Tied for the team lead in blocked shots (18) and finished fourth on the team in rebounding...Finished 32nd in the nation in two-point field goal percentage (.659) according to KenPom...Recorded his second career double-double with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 12 rebounds in a 90-79 victory over Quinnipiac (11/25)...Scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds against Stanford (11/27)...scored nine points in a victory over Columbia (12/1)...Scored seven points in 11 minutes of action at Providence (1/14)...Posted 10 points in an 86-73 victory over St. John's (1/22)...Had six points and eight rebounds in a 72-70 victory over Providence (2/8)...Recorded his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds at St. John's (2/11)...Scored eight points and pulled down five rebounds in an 82-76 victory over Marquette in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals (3/9)...Had six points and grabbed nine rebounds against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament first round (3/17).

2015-16: Appeared in 34 games and made three starts...averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds...shot 63.3 percent on the year...had five points and five rebounds vs. Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament first round (3/17)...produced four points, five rebounds and a block in BIG EAST semifinal win over No. 5 Xavier (3/11)...had four points and four rebounds as Pirates defeated nationally ranked Providence (2/25)...grabbed eight rebounds at St. John's (2/21)...delivered five points, four rebounds and two blocks in win over Marquette (2/3)...had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and six rebounds in road win at No. 12 Providence (1/16)...Recorded nine points and five rebounds in victory over USF (12/22)…Produced eight points in start against Saint Peter’s (12/13)…Tallied 10 points and five rebounds vs. Troy (12/10)…Posted career-highs with 13 points and 12 rebounds at Rutgers for first career double-double (12/5)...Added eight points and six rebounds at GW (12/2)…Had nine points and five rebounds against Ole Miss (11/22)…Accumulated six points and three rebounds vs. Long Beach State (11/19)…Claimed nine points and five rebounds in win over Dartmouth (11/13).

2014-15: Redshirt season.

BEFORE SETON HALL: Rated No. 47 power forward and No. 9 recruit from New York in Class of 2014 according to ESPN.com...Lettered two years at Our Savior New American in Centereach, N.Y. playing for head coach Ron Stelzer...Averaged approximately 14 points and 10 rebounds as a senior...Helped lead Our Savior New American to a 28-3 overall record and #9 national ranking by USA Today...Named to 2014 All-America Second Team by National Christian School Athletic Association (NCSAA)...All-Tournament Team selection in Our Savior New American's 2014 NACA Division I National Championship run...Named to 2014 Jordan Brand Classic Regional Team...Most Valuable Player of 2013 Metro Classic scoring 20 points for Long Island...Member of Nigerian national basketball team system...Represented Nigeria at 2012 Afrobasket U18 Championships in Mozambique...Played for Team Africa in its third place finish at 2013 Adidas Nations Tournament and led competition with 10.6 rebounding average, going along with 12.6 points and one block per game...Represented Pan-Africa at the 2013 Nike Global Challenge...Participated in the NBA's Basketball without Borders Africa camp... Competed in AAU ball for NJ Playaz in 2012 and New Heights in 2013.

PERSONAL: Son of Jennifer Nzei and the late Theophilus Nzei...Has two sisters, Kate Nzei and Ndi-Grace Nzei, and one brother, Anbu Nzei...Lived in Nigeria until 2012...Born July 14, 1995 in Makurdi, Nigeria.