By R.L. Bynum
Tyler Nickel’s trip back to the Smith Center didn’t produce a victory for his Virginia Tech team, but he reminded the Tar Heels of his perimeter shooting prowess.
In No. 7 UNC’s 96–81 victory Saturday, Nickel scored 14 points and four 3-pointers. But the 6–7 220-pound sophomore wing also contributed in other ways, with a career-high three blocks and a steal on a day that Destiny Adams, Caleb Love, and Justin McKoy also scored in double figures.
“That’s my boy right there,” UNC senior guard RJ Davis said. “Just to see him be able to have the opportunity to thrive, he played really well today. I knew we couldn’t let T-Nick get hot. But you know, it is always good to see him. I am proud of him for his efforts and the way he is playing this year. I talked trash to him a little bit, but he is still family. He is still my brother.”
Nickel knocked in three of Virginia Tech’s six first-half 3-pointers and scored the only Hokies 3-pointer in the second half when they made only 1 of 12 attempts.
“Sometimes it’s just how the game is,” Nickel told The Roanoke Times. “You go through cold stretches, have unfortunate nights, unfortunate halves, whatever the case is. We kind of just got collectively cold, and I can’t really attribute it to anything specifically. We got good looks, but just couldn’t hit them.”
The four 3-pointers Saturday at the Smith Center matched his total in all home games last season for Carolina. It was Nickel’s third career game with at least four 3-pointers, all this season, after making four on Dec. 9 in a 71–50 win at Valparaiso and five in an 87–72 home win Jan. 10 over Clemson when he scored a career-high 24 points.
“He has had a good year for us,” Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said. “He’s a good basketball player. He is awesome to coach and very conscientious. I did not say a word to him about coming back here.
“I am sure he would tell you that he had a great experience here and thought he had better opportunities at our place to play a lot of minutes, and that’s certainly come to fruition,” Young said. “I am proud of his effort today and all year, through thick and thin. He’s a good one.”
If playing time was Nickel’s main reason for transferring, it’s been a good decision.
He only played more than 19 minutes once last season for UNC, with 25 minutes against, ironically, Virginia Tech in an 80–72 loss on Dec. 4, 2022. He’s played more than 19 minutes 22 times this season.
Seeing former teammate Armando Bacot get into a groove in the second half and finish with 25 points was no surprise to Nickel.
“Armando is a great player,” Nickel told The Roanoke Times. “When he gets to that baseline or he gets close to the basket, it’s really hard to do much. He’s an All-American for a reason and a really talented guy.”
When Nickel first entered the game, according to the North State Journal, Bacot told him that he was going to “put you on the ground.” Nickel took it as just trash talk.
“I’m pretty sure he was kidding,” Nickel told the North State Journal. “He’s always messing around, so it was light-hearted.”
Adams notched her seventh career double-double, all this season, with 18 points and 10 rebounds Saturday in Rutgers’ 61–43 home loss to Wisconsin.
It was the second consecutive double-double in Big Ten play for Adams, who has double-digit points in 13 consecutive games and at least 10 points 23 times this season for the Scarlet Knights (8–20, 2–13 Big Ten).
While No. 5 Arizona dominated inside in a 105–60 home win over rival Arizona State on Saturday night, Love only played 28 minutes, collecting 15 points, three 3-pointers, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Jaden Bradley had 21 points and Oumar Ballo added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats (20–5, 11–3 Pac-12), who the NCAA tournament committee slotted as the fourth No. 1 team in its early bracket reveal on Saturday.
Kennedy Todd-Williams registered her fourth career double-double but first this season on Sunday, collecting 16 points, a season-high 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks in a 75–71 Ole Miss overtime home victory over rival Mississippi State.
The Rebels (18–7, 8–4 SEC) rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation to win back-to-back overtime games for the first time in program history.
McKoy scored 14 points and two 3-pointers and had two rebounds, two assists and a steal in Hawaii’s 77–71 Saturday loss at UC Santa Barbara. The Rainbow Warriors (15–12, 7–8 Big West) had the ball down three with 12 seconds left, but McKoy missed a shot near the rim, and UCSB put the game away at the free-throw line.
Dawson Garcia had 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists Sunday in Minnesota’s 81–70 home win over Rutgers. The Gophers are 16–9 overall and 7–7 in the Big Ten.
Kerwin Walton had nine points on three 3-pointers in Texas Tech’s 82–74 Saturday loss at No. 10 Iowa State. The Red Raiders (18–7, 7–5 Big 12) are tied for fifth in the Big 12.
Dontrez Styles contributed eight points, two 3-pointers, five rebounds and two blocks as Georgetown’s losing streak reached 10 with the Hoyas’ 70–54 home loss Friday to Villanova. The Hoyas (8–17, 1–13 Big East) haven’t won a game since a 68–55 win on Jan. 6 against DePaul, which is 0–14 in the Big East.
Penn State (12–14, 6–9 Big Ten) is also struggling and has dropped three consecutive games after a 68–48 loss Saturday at Nebraska. D’Marco Dunn started and had nine points and three rebounds. Puff Johnson played nine scoreless minutes off the bench with two rebounds.
Will Shaver played two scoreless minutes in UAB’s 71–62 Sunday home win over North Texas.
Checking in on 11 former Heels
Destiny Adams, Rutgers forward
6–3 | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
77–69 Wednesday, March 6, loss vs. Minnesota in first round of Big Ten tournament — Started; 38 minutes, 31 points, 12–24 FG, 0–1 3FG, 7–12 FT, career-high 24 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 fouls, 4 turnovers, 1 block, 1 steal, -11, 16.7 game score
Season statistics — 32 games, 32 starts, 15.6 points, 50.1 FG%, 1–8 3FG, 68.3 FT%, 7.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.8 of a block
Record — 8–24; season over
D’Marco Dunn, Penn State guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
61–59 Thursday, March 13, loss vs. Indiana in second round of Big Ten tournament — Didn’t start; 25 minutes, 9 points, 2–5 FG, 1–2 3PFG, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, -11, 4.9 game score
Season statistics — 33 games, 12 starts; 6.8 points, 39.5 FG%, 36.6 3P%, 73.8 FT%, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 of an assist
Record — 16–17; season over
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota forward
6–11, 230 pounds | Junior | UNC 2020–21 (part of 1 season)
73–72 Tuesday win at Butler in the first round of the NIT — Started; 34 minutes, 25 points, 11–19 FG, 1–4 3FG, 2–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 turnovers
76–64 Sunday loss at Indiana State in the second round of the NIT — Started; 28 minutes, 6 points, 2–5 FG, 2–2 FT, 12 rebounds, 4 fouls, 4 turnovers, 2 blocks
Season statistics — 31 games, 31 starts; 17.6 points (led team), 48.6 FG%, 31.9 3P%, 80.2 FT%, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 block
Record — 19–15; season over
Puff Johnson, Penn State wing
6–8, 205 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
61–59 Thursday, March 13, loss vs. Indiana in second round of Big Ten tournament — Started; 31 minutes, 16 points, 4–11 FG, 2–6 3PFG, 7–7 FT, 8 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 steals, -5, 12.1 game score
Season statistics — 29 games, 12 starts; 7.3 points, 42.2 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 78.5 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 0.7 of a steal
Record — 16–17; season over
Caleb Love, Arizona guard
6–4, 205 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
85–65 Thursday win over Long Beach State in the first round of NCAA tournament quarterfinals in Salt Lake City — Started; 34 minutes, 18 points, 6–17 FG, 3–12 3FG, 3–5 FT, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 2 steals, +24, 18.0 game score
78–68 Saturday win vs. Dayton in the second round of NCAA tournament in Salt Lake City — Started; 35 minutes, 19 points, 6–15 FG, 3–8 3FG, 4–6 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 foul, 5 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 block 1 steal, +6, 11.8 game score
Season statistics — 35 games, 35 starts; 18.1 points (leads team), 41.8 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 83.6 FT%, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals
Record — 27–8; Rank — No. 6; Next game — 7:09 Thursday vs. Clemson in NCAA Sweet 16 in Los Angeles, CBS
Justin McKoy, Hawaii guard
6–8, 230 pounds | Graduate student | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
68–65 Friday, March 15, loss vs. UC Davis in semifinals of Big West tournament — Started; 33 minutes, 10 points, 3–11 FG, 0–3 3FG, 4–4 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 fouls, -9, 1.6 game score
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 12.4 points, 47.4 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 87.2 FT%, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Record — 20–14; season over
Tyler Nickel, Virginia Tech guard
6–7, 225 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
74–58 Tuesday win vs. Richmond in the first round of NIT — Didn’t start; 17 minutes, 3 points, 1–1 FG, 1–1 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 foul, +2, 3.3 game score
81–73 Saturday loss at Ohio State in the second round of NIT — Didn’t start; 12 minutes, 6 points, 2–7 FG, 2–4 3PFG, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, -9, 0.1 game score
Season statistics — 34 games, 7 starts; 8.8 points, 43.8 FG%, 39.9 3P%, 82.0 FT%, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Record — 19–15; season over
Will Shaver, UAB center
6–10, 270 pounds | Redshirt sophomore | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
69–65 Friday loss vs. San Diego State in the first round of NCAA tournament in Spokane, Wash. — 4 minutes, 1 point, 1–2 FT, -4, 0.6 game score
Season statistics — 18 games, 87 minutes, 20 points, 6–17 FG, 0–2 3FG, 8–16 FT, 18 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal
Record — 23–12; season over
Dontrez Styles, Georgetown wing
6–6, 212 pounds | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
74–56 Wednesday, March 13, loss vs. Providence in first round of Big East tournament — Started; 35 minutes, 7 points, 3–7 FG, 0–3 3FG, 1–5 FT, 9 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 fouls, 2 turnovers
Season statistics — 32 games, 32 starts, 12.8 points, 43.0 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 77.6 FT%, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 0.6 of a block
Record — 9–23; season over
Kennedy Todd-Williams, Ole Miss guard
6–0 | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
67–55 Saturday win vs. Marquette in South Bend, Ind., in first round of NCAA tournament — Started; 35 minutes, 15 points, 5–13 FG, 2–4 3FG, 3–6 FT, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 2 steals, +15, 12.2 game score
71–56 Monday loss at Notre Dame in the second round of NCAA tournament — Started; 33 minutes, 15 points, 5–12 FG, 1–6 3FG, 4–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 fouls, 3 steals, -12, 9.4 game score
Season statistics — 33 games, 25 starts; 10.6 points, 38.4 FG%, 26.7 3PFG%, 78.0 FT%, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals
Record — 24–9; season over
Kerwin Walton, Texas Tech guard
6–5, 200 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–22 (2 seasons)
80–67 Thursday loss to N.C. State in Pittsburgh in the first round of the NCAA tournament — Started; 20 minutes, 9 points, 3–5 FG, 3–4 3PFG, 5 rebounds, 4 fouls, -2, 8.2 game score
Season statistics — 32 games, 25 starts, 8.4 points, 49.5 FG%, 47.0 3P%, 72.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 0.5 of an assist
Record — 23–11; season over
Photo via @HokiesMBB
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