UNC Basketball: Tyler Nickel heading to Virginia Tech

After one season with the UNC basketball program, Tyler Nickel has found a new place to call home, as he’ll stay within the ACC.

Looks like the UNC basketball program will be seeing a lot of Tyler Nickel over the next few seasons.

On Thursday, Nickel announced that he is committing to Virginia Tech. It will be a homecoming for the former Tar Heel, as the school’s campus is just two hours away from his home in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Nickel made 25 appearances for the Tar Heels as a freshman but did play quality minutes off the bench. He averaged 2.1 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.3 assists while playing around six minutes per contest.

The rising sophomore transfer spoke to On3 about his decision to commit to the Hokies:

"“I chose (Virginia Tech) because I believe it’s a great situation for me individually as well as being part of a team that can win a lot of games. I also have built a really good relationship with Coach Young and the whole staff.”"

Virginia Tech was heavily involved in his recruitment the first time around and now have landed him as a transfer with three seasons of eligibility remaining. It’s disappointing that his short stint with the UNC basketball program didn’t go as planned, but Nickel is hoping to earn a fresh start with another ACC program this upcoming season.

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