HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Tyler Nickel is Broadway bound!
The East Rockingham High grad and Harrisonburg native was selected No. 47 overall during the second round of Wednesday night’s NBA Draft.
“I feel crazy right now,” Nickel told WHSV Wednesday night. “Just working my whole life to be in this position. I feel like I’m in a dream right now.”
At East Rockingham High School, Nickel became the VHSL’s all-time leading scorer while becoming one of the state’s top college prospects. He began his career at North Carolina before transferring to Virginia Tech for his sophomore season.
The last two seasons were spent playing under former James Madison head coach Mark Byington at Vanderbilt. In his senior season, Nickel averaged 13.5 points per game and shot 44.5% from the field, including 40% from three-point range. He also hit eight threes in a game twice this season.
Nickel joins a select group of players from the Shenandoah Valley to be taken in the NBA Draft. The last player selected was Waynesboro native Cory Alexander in 1995 when he was taken by the San Antonio Spurs.
Other notable players selected include Ralph Sampson when he was taken No. 1 overall by the Houston Rockets in 1983, Dell Curry when he was selected by the Utah Jazz in 1986, and Pee Wee Barber when he was selected by the Portland Trailblazers in 1987.
“It doesn’t even sound real,” Nickel said as he let the thought of getting drafted soak in. “It’s been a minute since it happened to anybody in the area.”
Nickel wants to show athletes in The Valley to dream big.
“Hopefully, [I can] inspire young athletes around the area that [it] can be them.”
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