NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion men’s basketball head coach Mike Jones has added seven transfers to round out the Monarchs’ 2026-27 roster. ODU’s sixth incoming transfer is Jotham Nweke, a 6-foot 7-inch forward who is coming to Norfolk from Wayne State.
“Jotham is a very welcome addition to our family for so many different reasons,” said Jones. “First, he is a wonderful young man with an infectious competitive spirit. As a player, he is an elite defender and his super athleticism affects both ends of the floor. He comes to us as a 38% shooter from distance and an all-conference defensive player. For us, Jotham will be able to play multiple positions and his performance will impact winning from day one.”
Jotham Nweke | Forward | Oak Park, Mich. | Detroit Loyola HS (Wayne State)
The Oak Park, Michigan native played his first two season at Macomb Community College. As a freshman in 2023-24, he started 11 of the 36 games he appeared in for the Monarchs and was selected to the All-MCCAA Eastern Conference Honorable Mention Team and the Eastern Conference All-Freshman Team. His rookie totals included 292 points (8.1 ppg), 126 rebounds (3.5 rpg), 31 assists, 31 block, and 20 steals. Nweke scored in double figures 13 times, to include a season-high 18 points versus Jamestown CC on December 2. He also tallied season bests of seven blocks and three steals against JCC. He had two outings with seven rebounds, on January 27 versus Oakland CC and on February 10 against Henry Ford CC, and dished out a season-high four assists against HFCC.
He then earned Second Team All-MCCAA and All-Defensive Team honors as a sophomore in 2024-25, starting 34 of 25 games for Macomb. His production and playing time both improved as he scored 462 points (13.2 ppg) while seeing the court for 28.3 minutes per contest. His other season totals included 250 rebounds (7.1 rpg), 65 assists, 37 blocks, and 27 steals. Nweke also shot 46% from the field and 41% from distance while making 73% of his shots at the line. He scored in double figures 25 times and had at least 20 points in seven games. He scored a season-best 26 points on 10 made field goals in a March 21 meeting with Howard CC. He made five threes on February 13 versus Mott CC and pulled down 13 boards on February 1 at Jackson College. He helped the Monarchs to a 61-10 record over his two seasons and a fifth-place finish at the 2025 NCJAA Tournament. Off the court, he earned Academic All-MCCAA honors.
Nweke played this past season at Division II Wayne State, where he started 26 games in 27 appearances for the Warriors. He was voted to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) All-Defensive Team after tying for sixth place in steals (1.5 spg), tying for 10th in blocked shots (0.9 bpg), 11th in rebounding (6.2 rpg), and 14th in defensive rebounds (3.9 rpg) in league play. Nweke led Wayne State in steals 11 times, in rebounding 14 times, and in blocks 15 times. He also scored in double figures 11 times and recorded three double-doubles. His season totals included 262 points (9.7 ppg), 163 rebounds (6.0 rpg), 29 assists, 25 blocks, and 37 steals. On December 13 against Lewis University, he scored 20 points with four rebounds and one block. He finished with a season-high 21 points on January 31 at Ferris State and posted a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double on February 7 against Grand Valley State.
Nweke was a two-year letterwinner at Detroit Loyola High School, where he earned All-Catholic League honors and was named an All-State Honorable Mention as a senior by both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. He garnered Detroit Free Press All-Area honors in both 2022 and 2023. He attended Loyola for three years and Berkley High School for one year.