DETROIT (5/1/2024) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team has started to rebuild its roster for next season as head coach
Mark Montgomery
announced his first four signees in Nate Johnson, Miles Mitchell, TJ Nadeau and Stephen Okoro.
"This is just the start, but these are four quality young men who possess a great work ethic and will help us build an identity, a culture and a foundation for our program," said coach Montgomery.
Nate Johnson * 6-5 * 190-lb * Grand Rapids, Mich. * Grand Rapids Christian
• Earned Honorable Mention All-State Accolades by the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News
• Also tabbed to the Bank Hoops Division 2 All-State First Team
• Averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game
• Helped the Eagles to a a #3 ranking, 26-4 record and runner-up in the state championship
Coach Montgomery On Johnson: "He comes from a winning culture at Grand Rapids Christian, which is what we are looking for. He is a versatile wing player who can score in a number of ways and has the ability to defend multiple positions."
Miles Mitchell * 6-9 * 210-lb * Detroit, Mich. * Warren Lincoln
• A Macomb Area Conference Gold Division All-Star Team honoree
• Prepped at Big Shots Global and was tabbed as one of the their top power forwards
• Helped Lincoln to back-to-back conference championships
• Tallied 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as a senior
Coach Montgomery On Mitchell: "Miles is a super athletic player that can guard four positions on the court. He has a ton of potential and can score inside and outside."
TJ Nadeau * 6-5 * 195-lb * South Lyon, Mich. * Detroit Catholic Central
• All-Catholic League selection as a senior
• Tallied over 1,000 points in his prep career, including 16.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a senior
• Played in the Mitten Classic boys basketball All-Star game and won the three-point contest
• Shot over 40.0% from three and had back-to-back 32-point, 12-rebound efforts in road games against Warren Del Salle and Toledo St. John's
Coach Montgomery On Nadeau: "TJ is a big time shooter and has a high basketball IQ. He can really stretch the floor from three, but is also a very tough defender."
Stephen Okoro * 6-9 * 230-lb * Imo State, Nigeria * Combine Academy (NC)
• Played his high school ball at Principia in Missouri before prepping at Combine Academy in North Carolina this past season
• In high school., he was named the District Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-State
• Tallied 13.5 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game as a senior, breaking the record for most rebounds in a season
• Helped his team to second place in the state tournament
Coach Montgomery On Okoro: "Stephen is a team player who loves to defend and rebound, but has the ability to score around the basket. He has only played four years of basketball, but he plays with a ton of energy and has tremendous passion."
