NCAA Basketball: In-depth look at Gardner-Webb star DQ Nicholas

Why you should know DQ Nicholas

The point guard is entering his second season for Coach Craft and his fifth season of college basketball. The guard is one of the few players who is going to use his Covid year at his current school, he would have been eligible for a grad transfer to anywhere and would not of had to sit out a season but he chose to stick it out at Gardner-Webb and try to get them to an NCAA tournament. Nicholas is a guy who has been extremely consistent his entire career. He is a player who can set up the offense, get a bucket when you need it, and plays great defense.

The point guard started his career at SEMO where he was a 2-year starter. He never averaged over double digits but the talent was there and it was evident that he had the makings to be a star. Nicholas has always been a great three-point shooter. He picks his spots to shoot the ball from deep but he does usually make the ones he takes. He is one of the best passers in the Big South and should come close to leading the league in assists. Nicholas is one of the most athletic players in the Big South and he utilizes that athleticism to get to the basket for easy points and gets fouled a lot.

The transition to a better league for Nicholas was a success. He saw an uptick in his minutes, shots, points, and role on the team. He was the starting point guard all season long and with that became the go-to guy for the Runnin’ Bulldogs. The one thing that didn’t go well was his shooting percentages across the board. He saw a downturn in all those numbers. This year as his familiarity grows I expect him to return to high-efficiency numbers across the board and if he can shoot 70% from the line and 40% from deep he should average close to 20 points per game.

If he can do that and is still able to distribute and play defense like he is capable it is going to be hard for Nicholas to not have some recognition on the national stage.