Tyler Nickel will transfer to VT
At long last, the rumor has come to fruition. North Carolina forward Tyler Nickel will transfer to Virginia Tech.
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Nickel picked the Heels over VT in the Class of 2022. A four-star and Rivals150 prospect out of Elkhorn (Va.) East Rockingham, he was a huge miss for the Hokies at the time.
His time in Chapel Hill didn't go as expected, though: he played just 152 total minutes in 25 appearances, attempting just 40 shots (he made 15, and had a 6/27 mark from three), contributing seven assists, and snagging 16 total rebounds. He was little-used but effective with an offensive rating of 119.0 points per 100 possessions.
The Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament and declined an NIT bid in coach Hubert Davis's second year. There has been a mass exodus from the roster in the aftermath, and UNC's loss will be Virginia Tech's gain in this instance.
A sharpshooter out of high school, Nickel has upside from deep when he gets comfortable in a more effective system. He also has the skillset to guard three positions, and while he is at his best as a spot-up shooter who uses the threat of the deep ball to create space inside the arc if he needs to, he finished pretty well this year (69.2% on low volume) and was able to get sent to the line frequently, as well. He likely steps in immediately as a small forward who can flex to the power forward position or play shooting guard situationally.
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