UNC Basketball: Tyler Nickel Has High School Number Retired

The UNC basketball freshman’s stellar career at East Rock High School will be honored forever.

There will never be another #5 on the basketball team for the East Rock High School Eagles.

Following the outstanding career of incoming UNC basketball freshman Tyler Nickel, the school announced they will be retiring his number.

The 6-foot-8 small forward had one of the best careers in the history of Virginia high school basketball, as he finished his career with 2,909 points.  This broke Mac McClung’s all-time scoring record in the state.

Nickel helped lead his team to multiple region and district championships during his time as an Eagle.  With these accolades, it is easy to see why many fans are hoping for a big career from the Virginia native at North Carolina.

Ranked as the 79th player in the class by 247 Sports, Nickel is part of UNC’s 2022 recruiting class that ranks 15th in the country.  Along with fellow freshman Seth Trimble, Jalen Washington, and Will Shaver, Nickel will look to add depth to a UNC basketball team that saw its starters handle an extensive amount of minutes down the stretch last season.

Known to be a physical guard with a great shooting touch, Nickel has a knack for scoring in bunches.  How quickly he progresses on the defensive end of the floor will likely determine how much time he sees on the floor this season.

On a Tar Heel team that is loaded with talent at every position, it is hard to envision that any of the freshmen will find themselves playing starter’s minutes.  With experienced wings such as Leaky Black, Puff Johnson, and Dontrez Syles, Nickel in all likelihood be coming off the bench.

However, as we saw last season fatigue can be a factor when you get into March, and having talented players and scoring threats off the bench can be a major advantage.  There is plenty of optimism that Nickel and the other freshman will turn what was a weakness for UNC last season into a strength this year.

It will be exciting to watch Tyler Nickel this year and throughout his time at North Carolina and maybe one day his college career will end much like his high school one, with his jersey in the rafters.

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