Nkugwa Commits To Vermont
Last week, it was announced that Governor’s Academy and Mass Rivals guard, Momo Nkugwa, has committed to the University of Vermont in the America East Conference.
Nkugwa began his high school career at Chelmsford High School before transferring to Governor’s Academy in the spring of 2022.
Before anything else, Nkugwa wanted to express his gratitude to those who helped him develop on and off the court: “First, I just want to thank my mom, dad, and siblings. I also want to thank all my coaches, especially Coach McGonagill, Coach Dom, Vin Pastore, Tom Nelson, and Coach Micol. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today.”
Over the past six months, Nkugwa’s stock rose significantly with his expanded role on the Mass Rivals 17U team. He earned nine scholarship offers from programs such as Maine, Fairfield, Manhattan, Canisius, Stonehill, Iona, UMBC, Albany, and, ultimately, Vermont.
Amid his success with the Rivals, Nkugwa also traveled to South Africa to represent Uganda, his home country, in international competition.
In five games, he averaged 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, with a standout performance against Ivory Coast, scoring 21 points on 56.3% shooting from the field.
Nkugwa described the experience of representing Uganda as life-changing: “I had a surreal experience playing for Uganda’s U18 team this summer. I met a lot of great people and made connections that I’ll never forget!”
While his recruitment took off over the summer, he attributed much of it to the work he put in after the prep season: “This summer helped me show coaches how I improved in a lot of areas since the winter season,” he said. One key focus was his shooting: “One of the things I really worked on was my shooting, putting up a ton of shots every day.”
His improved shooting was reflected in his 3SSB stats, as he shot 48.9% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 81% from the free throw line.
Despite having several excellent programs to choose from, Nkugwa ultimately chose Vermont and head coach John Becker.
“The reason I chose Vermont is because it felt like home right away,” he said, emphasizing the comfort and connection he felt with the program.
Nkugwa continued: “From a basketball standpoint, everything is earned on that team. Everyone walks into the gym and competes, and it shows because they’re a winning program.”
Indeed, Vermont has been a winning program under Coach Becker, boasting a 308-120 record and six NCAA Tournament appearances since he took over in 2011-12.
With Momo Nkugwa, Vermont adds a fierce competitor who is ready to give his all and take his game to the next level.
Momo Nkugwa