#5 Tyler Nickel Season 2024-25
Guard/Forward
2023-24 (Virginia Tech)
• All-ACC Academic Team honoree
• Tied for second in ACC points per game improvement from last season to this season (+6.7), averaging 8.8 points per game
• Tallied a career-high 24 points in Tech’s 87-72 win over Clemson on Jan. 10
• Started seven games for the Hokies, shooting 39.9% from 3-point range
• Ten games of three-plus 3-pointers made and eight games where he led Tech in 3-pointers made
• Dished out a career-high six assists in the Hokies’ 75-41 win over Virginia on Feb. 19
• Reached double-figure scoring 16 times
2022-23 (North Carolina)
• Averaged 2.1 points in 25 games
• Made six 3-pointers and 16 of 19 free throws (.842)
• Was 3 for 3 from the line at Wake Forest
• Was a plus 12 in a dozen minutes at Syracuse; raced from behind to block a shot that led to a fastbreak dunk by Armando Bacot and made a second-half 3-pointer vs. the Orange
• Hit a three at Louisville, his first since December 14
• Made a memorable block in the win over Ohio State
• Scored a season-high 16 points (all in the second half), the most off the bench by a Tar Heel on the season, vs. The Citadel; was 5 for 10 from the floor, including 3 for 8 3FGs vs. the Bulldogs
• His 16 points off the bench equaled the previous high point total by UNC’s bench in any game this season
• Scored eight points in a season-high 25 minutes at Virginia Tech and was the only Tar Heel to play at least half the game and have a positive plus/minus (+1); helped spark UNC’s second-half rally
• Made his first three as a Tar Heel, was 5 for 6 from the line, scored eight points and added two assists in just under eight minutes vs. Charleston.
Prep
• Played for Coach Carey Keyes at East Rockingham High School in Elkton, Va.
• Virginia High School League’s all-time leading scorer with 2,909 points in 102 games
• Averaged 28.5 points
• Career totals also include 817 rebounds, 333 assists, 127 blocks and 159 steals
• Set the Virginia High School League records for points in a season by a freshman (662 points) and sophomore (902 points)
• Career-high 54 points against Central Woodstock
• Averaged 35 points, 11 rebounds and five assists as a senior
• Virginia Player of the Year in 2022
• Four-time region and district player of the year
• Four-time first-team all-state, all-region and all-district
• Led East Rockingham to an 87-15 record and state tournament appearances each year and second-place finishes in 2020 and 2022
• Is the first player from East Rockingham to play at a Division I school
• Four-star prospect in the class of 2022 and ranked third in Virginia
• Played AAU for Team Loaded
Personal
• Born in Harrisonburg, Va.
• Son of Eric and Jacki Nickel
• Both of his parents played basketball in college
• Two brothers: Ryan and Kyle