By R.L. Bynum
Tyler Nickel returned to ACC territory on Sunday and broke loose with one of the best games of his career.
The senior forward, who started his career as a freshman at North Carolina and a sophomore at Virginia Tech, poured in a season-high 26 points and tied his career high with eight 3-pointers as No. 13 Vanderbilt extended its unbeaten streak to 12 with a 98–67 victory at Wake Forest.
Nickel, who was 9 of 12 from the floor and 8 of 10 from 3-point range, ignited the Commodores’ fast start and kept their offense humming all game.
“I felt good in shootaround yesterday,” Nickel told Vanderbilt Commodores on SI. “When I was shooting today before the game, I just got in my zone, got in my rhythm. When I got the first one to go, I was like ‘oh, yeah, this is gonna be a good one.’ ”
Nickel carried that momentum through the game. He hit three 3-pointers in the first four minutes, six by halftime, and added two more early in the second half to put the game out of reach.
One of the commentators on the TV broadcast quipped, “He’s not even thinking right now, he’s just catching and redirecting the ball to the basket.”
Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington praised Nickel’s mindset and work ethic.
“His confidence is unbreakable,” Byington said. “He knows what he can do. He puts in so much work. He’s a great fit for us; he really is. We know he’s a great shooter.”
Vanderbilt shot 59.3% from the field, hitting 50% of its 3-pointers (16 of 32), fueled by Nickel’s sharpshooting. The Commodores never trailed, building an early double-digit lead and eventually cruising home.
Vanderbilt, ranked the highest since the 1992–93 season, got seven points and three rebounds off the bench from Jalen Washington.
Vandy’s win came four days after a 77–70 road overtime victory on Wednesday over Memphis. Nickel had eight points and four rebounds in that game.
Against Memphis, Washington collected 14 points and six rebounds and was 10 of 14 at the free-throw line after drawing 10 fouls. It was his fifth double-figure-scoring game this season.
Also still undefeated is Elliot Cadeau’s No. 2-ranked Michigan team (11–0), which went 2–0 last week.
Cadeau had 12 points, two 3-pointers and 10 assists (against 3 turnovers) in Monday’s 101–83 road victory over Maryland to go 2–0 in the Big Ten.
On Sunday, Cadeau collected 14 points, three 3-pointers and three assists in 20 minutes of the Wolverines’ 102–50 home blowout of La Salle.
Cadeau has five games with multiple 3-pointers this season, after doing it nine times in two seasons at UNC. He has scored three or more 3s twice after doing it twice all of last season at Carolina. After shooting 28.1% from outside the arc in two seasons at UNC, he’s making 43.5% of his 3-point attempts this season.
Cade Tyson continues to be one of the most prolific scorers in the country, scoring 24 points in 28 minutes of Minnesota’s 78–50 home win Sunday over Campbell. He scored three 3-pointers and added seven rebounds, five assists and three dunks.
Tyson is averaging 22.8 points per game, second only in the country to Duke’s Cameron Boozer (23.3), becoming a three-level scorer for the Gophers (7–5).
“I feel like the coaches and my teammates have instilled a lot of confidence in me since the day I got here,” Tyson said in a postgame interview on Big Ten Network. “I feel like that continues to grow, and as we continue to learn to play with each other.
Ian Jackson started both games for No. 22 St. John’s at point guard last week. He had 10 points and two assists in each game, a 79–66 Tuesday home win over DePaul and a 78–66 loss Saturday at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta.
Jackson clearly isn’t a point guard and, after Saturday’s game, Coach Rick Pitino acknowledged that four point guard misses in the transfer portal has forced him to go to a point guard by committee.
“We’ve got to make the best of a situation by collectively other people handling the ball and bringing it up,” Pitino said. “I can’t do anything about the point guard spot, but we’ve got to do a better job at the backcourt.”
It was hard to recognize Jackson with all of the locks on his hair cut off.
Paulina Paris got off to a slow start in her first season at SMU, but has started the last three games after coming off the bench in the previous six and has played well. She averaged 15.7 points as the Mustangs (7–6) moved over .500 with wins Wednesday (57–49 over Coppin State), Friday (74–69 at Sam Houston) and Sunday (74–62 at home against Southern).
Paris, at her third school after playing last season at Arizona, has 18 points in each of the previous two games, combining for five 3-pointers. The double-digit points in the last three games come after doing it only three times in the first nine.
Two other former players, both also at their second school after transferring from UNC, have had a tough time finding playing time. But each had career games last week.
— RyLee Grays scored a career-high 14 points, scored her first career 3-pointer and made a career-high seven free throws in 18 minutes of Tulsa’s 90–58 loss to Oklahoma State on Monday. Grays, who played at Virginia last season, combined for four points and four rebounds as Tulsa (8–4) rebounded with wins Thursday over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (67–43) and Sunday at Florida (74–67).
— Samford center Will Shaver, who was at UAB the previous two seasons, scored a career-high eight points with a career-high three field goals and the first two 3-pointers of his career in the Bulldogs’ 106–51 home win Monday over Bryant. After pulling down five rebounds in that game, he had eight rebounds with four points in Friday’s 85–49 victory over Reinhardt as Samford moved to 7–6.
Elsewhere in the last week:
— Ven-Allen Lubin had 15 points, two rebounds and two steals Sunday as N.C. State (9–4) easily knocked off Ole Miss 76–62 in Greensboro. In Wednesday’s 108–72 Wolfpack victory at Reynolds Coliseum, Lubin had seven points, four rebounds and three assists.
— Tray Crisp combined for 18 points and nine assists in two wins for Mississippi State (12–1), rolling Wednesday at home 105–56 over Alabama State before winning 85–37 at La Salle on Sunday.
— Teonni Key missed No. 12 Kentucky’s only game last week, a 96–53 home Friday win over Wright State, as she recovers from what the school called “a lingering injury after a fall.”
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting point guard ahead of sophomore L.J. Cason
Season statistics — 11 games, 11 starts, 10.1 points, 45.3 FG%, 43.5 3P%, 61.9 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.4 turnovers
Team record: 11–0, 2–0 Big Ten; Rank: No. 2
Monday: No. 2 Michigan 101, (at) Maryland 83 — Started; 34 minutes, 12 points, 5–9 FG, 2–3 3FG, 1 rebound, 10 assists, 1 foul, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, +15
Sunday: No. 2 Michigan 102, La Salle 50 — Started; 20 minutes, 14 points, 4–9 FG, 3–5 3FG, 3–4 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assists, 2 turnovers
Next game — 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, vs. McNeese
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 13 games, 13 starts, 8.2 points, 42.4 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 77.8 FT%, 1.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Team record: 12–1
Wednesday: Mississippi State 105, Alabama State 57 — Started; 22:43, 8 points, 3–6 FG, 2–4 3FG, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, team-high +47
Saturday: Mississippi State 85, (at) La Salle 37 — Started; 30:29, 10 points, 4–12 FG, 1–6 3FG, 1–2 FT, 2 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, +35
Next game — 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28 vs. Samford
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 12 games, 2.4 points, 50.0 FG%, 1–2 3FG, 69.6 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals
Team record: 8–4
Monday: Oklahoma State 90, Tulsa 58 — 18 minutes, career-high, team-high 14 points, 3–6 FG (FG total career-high), 1–2 3FG (first career 3-pointer), 7–8 FT (career-high for makes and attempts), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, -9
Thursday: Tulsa 67, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 43 — 14 minutes, 4 points, 1–1 FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 1 block
Sunday: Tulsa 74, (at) Florida 67 — 6 minutes, 2 rebounds, 1 foul
Next game — 6:30 Tuesday, Dec. 30, vs. Wichita State, ESPN+
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — In rotation as reserve
Season statistics — 11 games, 4 starts, 11.4 points, 47.4 FG%, 34.7 3P%, 85.7 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Team record: 7–4, 1–0 Big East; Rank: No. 22
Tuesday: No. 22 St. John’s 79, DePaul 66 — Started; 14 minutes, 10 points, 4–7 FG, 2–3 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, +2
Saturday at CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta: Kentucky 78, No. 22 St. John’s 66 — Started; 30 minutes, 10 points, 4–7 FG, 2–5 3FG, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 2 steals
Next game — 6 p.m. Tuesday vs. Harvard, FS1
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 11.0 points, 55.9 FG%, 1–10 3FG, 71.1 FT%, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
Team record: 12–1; Rank: No. 12
Friday: No. 12 Kentucky 96, Wright State 53 — Didn’t play to manage lingering injury after a fall
Next game — 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28, vs. Hofstra
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 13 games, 13 starts, 13.2 points, 69.0 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 69.8 FT%, 6.8 rebounds
Team record: 9–4
Wednesday: N.C. State 108, Texas Southern 72 — Started; 16:30, 7 points, 3–4 FG, 1–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, +15
Sunday: N.C. State 76, Ole Miss 62 in Greensboro — Started; 31:17, 15 points, 7–8 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–1 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 2 steals, =/- of 0
Next game — noon Wednesday, Dec. 31, vs. Wake Forest, ESPN2
Plays UNC —7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, ESPN or ESPN2
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 15.3 points, 52.1 FG%, 47.9 3P%, 83.3 FT%, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 12–0: Rank: No. 13
Wednesday: No. 13 Vanderbilt 77, (at) Memphis 70, OT — Started; 36:46, 8 points, 3–11 FG, 2–10 3FG, 4 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +12
Sunday: No. 13 Vanderbilt 98, (at) Wake Forest 67 — Started; 29:00, 26 points, 9–12 FG, 8–10 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 steal, 3 blocks, +23
Next game — 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, vs. New Haven
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 12 games, 6 starts, 9.9 points, 41.2 FG%, 25.5 3P%, 76.9 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Team record: 7–6, 0–1 ACC
Wednesday: SMU 57, Coppin State 49 — Started; 26 minutes, 11 points, 3–7 FG, 1–3 3FG, 4–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 3 turnovers
Friday: SMU 74, (at) Sam Houston 69 — Started; 39:20, 18 points, 7–17 FG, 2–4 3FG, 2–2 FT, 8 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assists, 5 turnovers, 2 steals, +4
Sunday: SMU 74, Southern 62 — Started; 38 minutes, 18 points, 6–11 FG, 3–5 3FG, 3–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 fouls, 2 turnovers, 1 block, 1 steal, +11
Next game — 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, at Virginia, ACCN Extra
Plays UNC —7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Carmichael Arena, ACCN
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 12 games, 2.0 points, 44.4 FG%, 28.6 3P%, 2–5 FT, 2.4 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals
Team record: 7–6
Monday: Samford 106, Bryant 51 — 13 minutes, career-high 8 points, 3–6 FG (ties for most FGs in career), 2–4 3FG (first two 3-pointers of his career), 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 assist, 1 block
Friday: Samford 85, Reinhardt 49 — 21 minutes, 4 points, 2–4 FG, 0–1 3FG, 0–1 FT, 8 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assists, 3 turnovers
Next game — 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 1, at VMI
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 22.8 points, 53.6 FG%, 42.1 3P%, 81.9 FT%, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Team record: 7–5, 1–1 Big Ten
Sunday: Minnesota 78, Campbell 50 —Started; 28 minutes, 24 points, 10–15 FG, 3–5 3FG, 1–1 FT, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 foul, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, +28
Next game — 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, vs FDU, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Competing for starting minutes at center
Season statistics — 12 games, 1 start, 9.3 points, 59.3 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 78.3 FT%, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 12–0: Rank: No. 13
Wednesday: No. 13 Vanderbilt 77, (at) Memphis 70, OT — Didn’t start; 25:30, 14 points, 2–4 FG, 10–14 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, drew 10 fouls, 1 turnover, 2 steals, +12
Sunday: No. 13 Vanderbilt 98, (at) Wake Forest 67 — Didn’t start; 7 points, 2–4 FG, 1–2 3FG, 2–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, +10
Next game — 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, vs. New Haven
Photo via vucommodores.com
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