Jimmy Nichols – 2 Months Later, He Narrows to 3
By Jamie Shaw
Only yesterday, Nichols narrowed his list to three schools. Of the 20+ offers Nichols received he chose South Carolina, Miami and Providence as his final group. This success should come as no surprise, Nichols has been a stalwart at the prestigious South Carolina Top 80. Against the top players in the state, he has been a stand out performer in both of the SC Top 80s.
It is a bit perplexing, why his recruitment took so long to get going. After all, Nichols is the biggest player at one of the biggest schools in the state of South Carolina. His conference had players sign with South Carolina, UT Chattanooga, Wake Forest to go along with several other players recruited by mid to high major programs. Nichols averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game and was named South Carolina Class 5A All State.
Even after his performance in the 2015 South Carolina Top 80, before he played a single varsity game, you could see his talent. After that standout performance, 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. Mid to high college coaches need to go ahead and start taking note here.”
Even early you, it was immediate you could see Nichols upside as a defensive stopper. He stands 6’7”/6’8” and carries a 7’ wing span. He is incredibly quick twitch player and he will be taking off on his second jump before opponents land on their first. As he fills out, at the next level, Nichols has the opportunity to be an All League defensive type player.
Great job by the schools who jumped in. It was a little later than thought, however they came on board. The love of Nichols is all about projection, and he projects to have some major tools at the next level and that is easy to see.