NBA Draft Scouting Report: Gonzaga's Nolan Hickman

Prospect Profile

Although he’s undersized and older than a lot of prospects in this upcoming class, Hickman could rise up draft boards with a solid sophomore campaign. Last season at Gonzaga, he finished with WCC All-Freshman Team honors.

In fact, he probably could have gotten drafted following that freshman campaign but opted to go back to school for another year.

Hickman will turn 20 years old right before the 2023 NBA Draft. He’s a poised player that boasts a combination of scoring and playmaking. A natural point guard, he plays extremely smart and truly impacts winning.

Hickman is great at controlling pace and is a capable game manager. Although he lacks height, the Gonzaga sophomore does combat that with a solid frame and strength.

A natural scorer, Hickman is known for being a quality 3-point shooter. He’s got a smooth, effortless shot that gets off quick. He takes and makes a ton of triples, which is key in the modern game. He’s certainly got room to grow as an efficient shooter from deep, but the signs are promising. Hickman also has a good midrange game and is effective in pull-up situations.

When the ball is in Hickman’s hands, he poses the threat of being a scorer or passer. He’s a shifty ball handler but also has the quickness to blow by. His change of speed is impressive and a huge reason he’s a future NBA talent despite being only 6-foot-2.

Hickman doesn’t get to rim much, which is likely due to his lack of height and preferring to stay on the perimeter away from bigs. As such, he often shoots too many 3-pointers. In fact, over half of his shot attempts last season were from beyond the arc. He’ll need to get more comfortable putting pressure on the rim to prove he's a well-rounded scorer this season.

Furthermore, Hickman needs improve from the free throw line, where he struggled relative to other guards last season.

Overall, Hickman is somewhat limited given the Gonzaga system and the team going through other players as offensive focal points. Could we see things at the NBA level that Hickman hasn’t been able to show yet?

In the upcoming season, his team will have championship aspirations. This puts a lot of pressure on Hickman as the point guard and floor general of this group.

Overall as a prospect, Hickman feels like a guy that has a pretty high floor but lacks the ceiling of many others in this class. With that in mind, he’s a former five-star recruit in 2021 class that led Led Wasatch Academy to a top-ten national ranking and a trip to Geico Nationals.

The Seattle native will look to show signs of improvement this season to increase his draft stock. 

Highlights 

Draft Projection

Second-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.

2023 Big Board

Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.