2022 Four-star Tyler Nickel Discusses Recruitment, UNC Offer, Duke Interest
Tyler Nickel, a 6-8 forward, has seen his recruitment take off in the last month with the ‘Blue Bloods’ starting to come after the Virginia native.
Official Visits Set
Nickel has already set two official visits: Virginia Tech on September 3rd and Iowa on September 17th.
Although a date hasn’t been arranged, he would also like to see North Carolina, NC State, and either Butler or LSU.
Virginia Tech Hokies
When asked which coaches he has the strongest relationship with, he responded: “I’d say I have a pretty good relationship with all of them, but Virginia Tech has been there the longest, being in-state and all. They’ve probably been contacting me the most over time.”
Correspondingly, Nickel commented on if he feels any pressure to stay home and attend the in-state program. “Honestly, not really,” he said. “It’s just a matter of wherever is the best opportunity to be able to go to a successful program but at the same time be developed to be able to be the best pro you can be. That’s the ultimate goal.”
North Carolina Tar Heels
Speaking of pros, North Carolina has quite a few. Nickel received an offer from the Tar Heels last month and gave his thoughts: “That was a real cool moment. Especially growing up and watching those guys, like the pros. And then knowing that they want you to play there…that’s a real good feeling.”
Duke Blue Devils
Undeniably, North Carolina’s biggest rival, Duke is also in the mix. Newly appointed assistant coach, Nolan Smith has started to keep tabs on Nickel. Nickel says “Duke has been talking about getting me down (for a visit.) They haven’t officially offered me but they’ve been talking to me.” Duke will have coaches watching Nickel this weekend as he travels to Omaha, Nebraska to compete in the second session of the Adidas 3SSB Tournament. If the Blue Devils like what they see, Nickel believes they will extend the offer.
Who doesn’t love a little rival recruiting battle?
There is also a possibility that Tyler Nickel tries to team up in college with one of his current AAU teammates. “DJ Hand, Alphonzo Billups…We all have the NC State offer in common, so we’ve thought about that,” he said. “I’ve spoken to Malik Brown also because we both have Virginia Tech.”
Nevertheless, a decision won’t come soon. It’s important to note that while not being mentioned in this article, Nickel also holds offers from Indiana, Clemson, Creighton, Penn State, Wake Forest, and West Virginia.
Timetable
Nickel is taking his recruitment slow, while schools are still coming after the talented forward. The plan is to release a top list of schools by the end of July, and make a final decision in November.