Demetris Nichols
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| Position | Small forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 216 lb (98 kg) |
| League | NBA |
| Team | Chicago Bulls |
| Jersey | #35 |
| Born | September 4, 1984 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | St. Andrew's High School |
| College | Syracuse |
| Draft | 2nd round, 53rd overall, 2007 Portland Trail Blazers |
| Pro career | 2007–present |
| Former teams | New York Knicks (2007) Cleveland Cavaliers (2007) |
| Awards | 2007 All Big East Team 2007 Honorable Mention All-American |
| Official profile | Info Page |
Demetris Nichols (born September 4, 1984, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's Chicago Bulls and a former small forward for the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team. Prior to his signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers[1], he was signed and then released by the New York Knicks.[2][3] He was claimed off waivers from the Cavaliers by the Chicago Bulls on December 7, 2007 and then assigned to the Iowa Energy of the NBDL.[4]
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[edit] Professional career
Nichols was taken in the second round (53rd overall) by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2007 NBA Draft, but immediately traded to the New York Knicks for the Knicks' 2008 second round draft choice.[5]
Nichols participated in the July 2007 Las Vegas summer league with the Knicks and averaged 15.6 points on 53 percent shooting, including 23 points in the final game against the Denver Nuggets. He was second on the team in scoring as the Knicks went a perfect 5-0.[6]
Following the summer league, Nichols fired his agent after the Knicks were attempting to work out a deal to send Nichols to Europe for the 2007-08 season. Originally, the Knicks had wanted Nichols to play in Italy because they had 17 contracts and only 15 roster spots. When Nichols heard of the arrangement, he fired then-agent Bill Duffy in favor of Bill Neff and refused the Knicks' request. On October 1, Nichols was signed to the Knicks roster along with four other newcomers.[7] However, he was subsequently released by the Knicks on October 25, as the team needed to cut down its roster to 15 players.[3] Then on October 29, he was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers to fill the 15th spot on their opening day roster. Nichols sat on the bench for the first month of his time with the Cavaliers, but saw his first action on November 28, scoring 2 points in 8 minutes of playing time.[8] On December 5, 2007 Nichols was waived to clear roster space after the Cavs re-signed Anderson Varejao to end a contract dispute.[9] He was subsequently claimed by the Chicago Bulls and assigned to the Iowa Energy of the NBDL.[10] He played his first game with the Bulls on January 23, 2008.[11]
[edit] College
Nichols appeared in 26 games his freshman year, starting 15 of them. His best performance of the season was a 17-point, seven-rebound performance against Providence. He also scored 10 points against BYU and nine points against Maryland in the NCAA Tournament, in which Syracuse advanced to the Sweet 16. In his sophomore year, Nichols would start the first eight games of the season before he was forced out of the lineup with a back injury. He would play in 27 games that season, averaging 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.[12]
Nichols posted the sixth-best scoring average improvement in SU history, going from 3.9 ppg as a sophomore to 13.3 ppg in 2005-06 in his junior year. He ranked second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding (5.8 rpg). Nichols scored a season-high 28 points against Connecticut and averaged 13.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in the Big East Tournament.[12]
Nichols' senior season proved to be his best one at Syracuse, as he was a unanimous selection for the All-Big East First Team. He was also a NABC and USBWA All-District First Team selection after leading the Big East in scoring (18.9 ppg) and finished third in conference play (17.9 ppg). He also set a SU record in Big East games with a career-high 37 points, including seven three-pointers, to go along with 10 rebounds against St. John’s.[12]
In March 2007, Nichols was elected to participate in the 19th Annual State Farm College Three-Point Championship. He finished second to Aaron Brooks.[12]
Nichols finished his SU career tied for 28th in career scoring (1,344), third in three-point goals (205), fourth in three-point field goals attempted (573) and 10th in three-point field goal percentage (.358).[12]
[edit] Team USA
- Nichols was invited to try out for the 2004 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Men's Qualifying Team. He participated in the first round of July workouts, but didn't qualify.[13]
- Nichols was a member of the 2002 USA Development Festival East Team that finished 3-2 and earned the silver medal. He averaged 14.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in five games. [14]
[edit] High school
- Rated 50th overall and 14th among small forwards by ESPN.com
- Coached by Mike Hart at St. Andrews High School
- Three-time Street & Smith's Magazine Honorable Mention All-American
- Third-team Parade All-America in 2003
- Helped his club to the New England Prep School Athletic Conference title, tallying 15 points and 13 rebounds in the championship game against Lawrence Academy.
- Averaged 18.6 points and 8.9 rebounds a game and St. Andrew's finished 28-8
- Named 2003 Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year and EA Sports Roundball Game All-American[15]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Wolves get younger with buyout of Howard's contract Updated October 29, 2007
- ^ Young, Ray. Demetris Nichols Profile. Orangehoops.org. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
- ^ a b Knicks waive trio of rookies. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Bulls Waive Gardner, Claim Demetris Nichols. RealGM. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
- ^ Waters, Mike (2007-06-30). Knicks deal for Nichols. Syracuse.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
- ^ D’Agostino, Dennis (2007-07-15). Running the Table, Vegas Style. NBA.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Beck, Howard (2007-10-01). Knicks Add Rookie Guard. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ NBA - Cleveland Cavaliers/Detroit Pistons Box Score Wednesday November 28, 2007 - Yahoo! Sports
- ^ Varejao can opt out of new Cavs deal after second season Updated December 5, 2007
- ^ Bulls Assign Nichols to D-League. RealGM (2007-12-18). Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
- ^ Bulls vs. Pacers, Boxscore. Retrieved on January 23, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Demetris Nichols Prospect Profile. NBA.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Nichols Invited to USA Basketball Tryout. SUAthletics.com (2004-06-10). Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
- ^ Faber, Brandon (2002-06-25). Final Rosters Set for 2002 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival. United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
- ^ Demetris Nichols Profile. SUAthletics.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
[edit] External links
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