What is Virginia getting in Austin Nichols? - SCACCHoops.com

What is Virginia getting in Austin Nichols?

by UniversityBall.org

Posted: 7/31/2015 9:57:54 AM


Tony Bennett landed a big fish earlier this week, as Memphis transfer Austin Nichols announced his decision to attend Virginia.

Nichols is a 6’9,” 230 pound frontcourt player, and he’ll be available for the 2016-2017 season with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Nichols is a fun get. He’s springy (he blocked 3.4 shots per game, or 12.5% of opposing tries) in a way that we haven’t seen in a long time, finishes well around the rim (63%, and interior looks constituted 48% of his tries) and can step out a little (37.6% on two-point jumpers — not bad — and he hit two threes). His rebounding numbers have never been great, but he also spent alongside Shaq Goodwin and Trahson Burrell, whose were.

He was a five-star recruit when he committed to the Tigers, and there’s talk of him as a potential early entry to the NBA. You might remember him from the 2014 NCAA Tournament, where he was the only Tiger (15 points) to show up (on offense, anyway — he was abused inside by Gill, Akil, and Tobey) in an 18-point Virginia win.

Nichols will be able to use this season off to marinate in the tenets of the Pack Line, and will step into what should be a wide open frontcourt following the departures of Mike Tobey, Anthony Gill, and Evan Nolte. I’m agog at the athletic potential of a Nichols/Wilkins pairing or the complimenting skill sets of Nichols/Reuter (interchangeable heights, high and low post offensive games)  or Nichols/Salt (nimbleness and brute force, rim protection all around) lineups.

He’s a good get, and it gives me a small measure of satisfaction to land a player with Duke also in the conversation. The 2016-17 ‘Hoos are going to be different after years of consistency, but I think they’ll be a blast with the arrivals of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome and Nichols becoming eligible.

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