He is the biggest kid at one of the biggest high schools in the state of South Carolina, yet somehow Jimmy Nichols is flying under the radar.
Nichols has always be very craft around the rim, with an ability to finish at all angles and be a quick leaper, for numerous second chance opportunities. However, his game has grown, and so has his body and frame.
Nichols is a lengthy 6’7” forward. Lost in the shuffle of position-less players who flat out produce, Nichols has a diverse skill set which he shows off each time out on the floor. He has great range, when his feet are set as his release and set up look great. Nichols has grown to be a legit 6’7” now, which adds to his 6’11” wing span.
Now Nichols is not only a quick leaper, but he is an explosive leaper. He mixes in a plethora of tip-back dunks and dunks off vertical to his crafty arsenal off the bounce. Nichols has moved from an intriguing player, to one who is a flat out mid-level prospect.
Nichols is a 2-time alum of the prestigious South Carolina Top 80, an event which brings together the best players from around the state and puts them under one roof to compete in front of national scouts and media. His performance has been consistent in each of these events. After his performance in the 2015 SC Top 80 we wrote, “Nichols was a late addition to the camp roster, but wasted no time making his presence felt. Nichols is long and limby, but uses his length and quick twitch athleticism to be a constant nuisance on defense and when attacking the rim. Nichols’ camp coach Ricardo Priester stated, “Jimmy is a high flyer and a great rebounder. He is also a leader.” Nichols is a quick twitch energy man. He goes about his business and consistently produces. College coaches need to go ahead and start taking note here.
Even after how well he performed in the 2015 event, Nichols stepped up his effort for 2016. He was 7th overall in scoring during the event, at 16.3 points per game. After his stellar performance in the 2016 South Carolina Top 80 we wrote, “Jimmy is very long and a good athlete. He uses his length to his advantage at all times. At last year’s South Carolina Top 80 Nichols opened eyes as a junk yard dog who produced. This season, Nichols has taken his game to a new level. He’s an excellent rebounder and shot blocker, who has grown a couple of inches recently. On the offensive end he cleans up well around the rim as he always seems to be around the ball, he also has a soft touch jumper which he can knock down consistently. He carries an offer from Longwood. This season he should see a rise in his recruitment with his skill set, productivity, and size.”
We tried to let you all know two years ago about Nichols, now it is time college coaches really take a serious look.