6 teams that should target top-30 NCAA Basketball prospect Nolan Hickman

Oregon Ducks

The Ducks did recently land an important guard in De’Vion Harmon from Oklahoma this offseason. But outside of both he and returning starter Will Richardson, the team literally has no other guards on the roster. And it’s hard for teams to recruit “depth” in the transfer portal, asking to land players knowing that they’ll be coming off the bench for at most, 20 mpg behind Harmon and Richardson.

But it’s easier to recruit high schoolers to come off the bench if there’s a pathway to becoming a key starter in the year after. That would be the case for Hickman, coming in as the 6th man behind the upperclassmen and starting in 2022-23. And Oregon isn’t more than a car drive for the family so the location would work out here too.

Washington Huskies

As the “hometown” option, the Huskies have to figure to be a factor in Hickman’s recruitment. Back in the day, it was rare for Seattle players to not play for Washington but the program has fallen in a way that has made it easier for them to venture elsewhere. But what this team does have to offer Hickman is a near-guaranteed role as the starting point guard next season and the keys to the offense.

The prospect wouldn’t be alone, as the team has revamped the roster a bit, including landing West Virginia transfer guard Emmitt Matthews, along with Langston Wilson, a top JUCO transfer that recently de-committed from Alabama a few weeks ago. Still, the odds for them to make the NCAA Tournament would be slim, even with Hickman on board.

Could Hickman choose another option outside of these six? Absolutely. However, based on the reported factors that we know, there are few other teams that can offer what the top-30 recruit wants. None of these here are perfect but when it’s early May and so many pieces are moving around, no situation can be viewed as “perfect”.