Tyler Nickel Saves Vanderbilt Basketball From a Scare

NASHVILLE – During warmups, Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel alternated between shooting three-pointers from the far corner and the far wing on the side of the court next to the visiting team’s bench with guard Tyler Harris. Nickel and Harris were both knocking in three-pointer after three-pointer. It had to be one of their night’s. It was Nickel’s

It did not take any time at all for Nickel to make his presence felt Saturday night. In the first three minutes of the game, Nickel hit three consecutive threes and a layup to put his team up 11-2 in the blink of an eye. Central Arkansas scored a couple more baskets, but it was Nickel again who hit fourth three right after the first media timeout. Tyler Nickel 14, Central Arkansas 6.

“I felt good shooting the ball warming up. Just feeling the rhythm. It's the same reps I do every day. But yeah, I just felt good,” Nickel said.

Whether it was just finding a rhythm or some other factor, Nickel came to play on a night where his teammates quite frankly needed him to step up. Nickel had hit five of his first six three-point attempts and had 17 points with seven minutes still remaining in the first half. Nickel was the difference in what was a 35-18 lead at the time.

In the second half, it was not as much of a highlight reel performance but it was still a continuation of a great night. Nickel had 11 more points on 3-for-6 shooting from long range, which still led the team. His most important points of the night came with a little over two minutes remaining in the game. Nickel hit his eighth and final three of the game to raise Vanderbilt’s lead from 12 points up to 15 and put the finishing touches.

It was certainly a night where Nickel’s teammates needed him to shine. The Commodores as a whole had its worst game of the season thus far and played like it despite the 83-72 win. The energy and intensity just did not look like how it has been through nine games. Vanderbilt shot 42 percent as a team, but just 11-for-38 from three-point range. If it was not for Nickel having a fantastic night, who knows what would have happened.

“If Tyler Nickel does not have a big night, you know, this game could have been crazy. And so he made a ton of shots,” Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington said.

Nickel has gotten off to a hot start this season, scoring in double figures in eight of the 10 games this season. Through the offseason, Nickel has been working on consistency in his game and in his shot. Not only that, but he has become one of the vocal leaders on this roster as a senior.

“He works hard. He's actually been probably one of our best leaders, and not our best leader this year. So that's way different than I think he's ever been. So it's been a nice carry over,” Byington said.

Saturday night, all the time that Nickel put in during the offseason to work on his consistency was on full display against Central Arkansas as he played the hero on a night where Vanderbilt left a lot to be desired.

“Consistency of my work. Just over time, reps and reps are gonna add up to where you feel consistent and confident. That's the biggest thing for me this year was consistency in all facets of the game. Tonight, I shot the ball well, but I mean, collectively, we got to play better,” Nickel said.

Nickel finished the game with 30 points on 10-for-18 shooting and 8-for-15 from three-point range. He also has four rebounds in his 30 minutes of game action.

Nickel and forward Jalen Washington knew the team did not play up to its standard and seemed determined in their demeanors to play much better. They will get that chance Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT as Vanderbilt plays Memphis on the road for an in-state matchup.