BASKETBALL

Will UNC basketball land 4-star 2022 forward Tyler Nickel this week? Experts say yes

The Fayetteville Observer

Four-star 2022 East Rockingham (Va.) small forward Tyler Nickel (right) officially visited UNC basketball last weekend. Nickel has set a decision date for Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 2:45 p.m., and national experts are predicting he'll choose the Tar Heels over fellow finalists Butler, Iowa, LSU and Virginia Tech (the only other school he's visited).

UNC basketball and first-year head coach Hubert Davis are heavily trending toward a fourth verbal commitment in the 2022 recruiting cycle, according to analysts at two major recruiting websites.

Insiders at 247Sports and Rivals placed predictions en masse for the Tar Heels to land four-star 2022 Virginia small forward Tyler Nickel after he locked in a commitment date for 2:45 p.m. this Wednesday.

Nickel, a 6-foot-8 forward at East Rockingham High School in Elkton, is fresh off a weekend official visit to UNC. He took his only other official visit to Virginia Tech (a strong in-state contender) earlier this month.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Nickel has four high-confidence 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions and four Rivals FutureCasts to land at UNC. Adding Nickel, a 0.9628 composite recruit, would bump UNC past Ohio State, Duke, Kansas and Virginia for the top 2022 recruiting class in the nation, per 247Sports.

Recruiting news:How Hubert Davis drew attention of top UNC basketball target during fall recruiting period

Nickel averaged 33.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game as a junior at East Rockingham, per MaxPreps, and received a UNC offer after Davis’ staff scouted him in person at a live evaluation period in June. He’s also a proven shooter, making 51% of his field goals, 43% of his 3-point attempts and 77% of his free throws during an all-state 2020-21 junior season at East Rockingham.

If he commits to UNC, Nickel would join four-star Indiana power forward/center Jalen Washington, four-star Wisconsin point guard Seth Trimble and three-star Alabama center Will Shaver in the Tar Heels’ class of 2022, which represents Davis' first full class since the former UNC and NBA guard succeeded Roy Williams as head coach in April.

Calling all sports fans:Ready to read more on the ACC and college sports? Join our 'Big Four and More' newsletter

Chapel Fowler is a recruiting reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at cfowler@gannett.com or on Twitter at @chapelfowler.