James Okonkwo, a former West Virginia big man who entered the portal after Bob Huggins retired last month as the Mountaineers’ coach, has committed to North Carolina, he announced Thursday.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, Okonkwo was slated to take an official visit to UNC in late July, as he recently made England’s U19 team. But he went ahead and made the decision after a series of zooms with Carolina Coach Hubert Davis.

Okonkwo posted the following on Twitter: "After being in communication with the UNC coaching staff following my decision to enter the transfer portal I have decided to commit to UNC to play for Coach Davis in the 2023-2024 season. Can’t wait to compete for a national championship at Chapel Hill. Let’s go Tar Heels!!"

Okonkwo fills a need UNC had trying to fill a backup role behind fifth-year big man Armando Bacot. As a sophomore with West Virginia, he played in 31 games last season averaging 11 minutes per contest. He didn’t star any of the games.

He was the team's ninth leading scorer at 2.5 points per game along with 3.2 rebounds, and 0.7 blocked shots per game. Okonkwo made 27 of his 47 shot attempts for a 57.4 percent rate. He also shot 60.5 percent from the foul line.

Okonkwo's high in scoring and rebounding came when the Mountaineers hosted Oklahoma. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds. He averaged 2.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 18 Big 12 games last season.

He is originally from Maidenhead, England. Okonkwo came to the United States in August 2020. He attended Beckley Prep IJN in Beckley, West Virginia, but graduated high school in England. He also played with All-Ohio of the EYBL.

Okonkwo was the No. 87 overall prospect in the class of 2021 at one point in the process, and after watching him, Rivals’ Rob Cassidy wrote the following:

“Everyone else’s sample size is so limited that it could end up being a steal. Add in the fact that he’s still developing from a skill set standpoint and it’s a medium sized gamble that could pay off in a massive way. He’s all of 6-foot-9 and what kind of stands out about him is the athleticism. He’s a little bit raw but when you see him you can see the development. He’s got long arms even for being 6-foot-9. He’s a guy that’s advanced defensively. He’s got some broad shoulders and some length and can finish at the bucket with either hand through contact.”

Okonkwo has two years of eligibility and is the 11th scholarship member of the Tar Heels’ 2023-24 roster.