Phenom Hoops was on deck this past weekend at the Chance Harmon Classic, bringing in several teams from around the state of Virginia all under one building. One of the headliners for the event was East Rockingham vs. Floyd County, as this thriller eventually went into overtime with East Rockingham securing the victory in the end.
One of the main reasons why was the play of 2022 6’8 Tyler Nickel who went off for 43 points to score the victory for his team. When watching him and how he operates and what we are now seeing at North Carolina under Hubert Davis, Nickel has a chance to really flourish and be a big piece for the Heels in the coming years.
Why?
Nickel continues to show that he can be a prolific scorer at the high school level and do it in a variety of ways. He has good size at 6’8, has the skillset to step out and score from behind the arc and with his mid-range game, rising over defenders and doing so with confidence. But he also has the frame and size, as well as good speed to help down low, finish around the basket, and create for himself. Nickel is a true definition of a three-level scorer that can also handle, find his own shot, and plays extremely hard on the court; the young man just wants to win. And though he is showing that he can put up points at the high school level, he also makes the right decision on the floor with his teammates well which will translate well down the road.
Now, with the new system at North Carolina under Coach Davis, Nickel has a chance to be a big piece to the puzzle for the team. Moving more towards a system with one big while also having size that can float around and operate inside and out, Nickel looks to fit very well. Now, there will still be growing pains, learning the system, getting stronger, and getting his body ready to handle the college level, but Nickel has the game to really flourish and make a name for himself in the ACC and with North Carolina in the coming years.
And we know that this wing prospect will come in and look to compete early and eventually will get his chance to shine on the big stage. It has been fun watching him throughout high school and what he has done and it will be just as exciting to see what he can do at the next level.
