Demetris Nichols returns as graduate assistant coach

[Cusesky8214]

 

[721Comstock]

COOL!!
D-Nic is one helluva shooter, he can partner up w/ GMac to make our guys even better.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

JAB being JAB. Looks good to me.

 

[Orangezoo]

I wonder if DNic is still in shape. His D was excellent and even at 36 having a coach who could get out there and run a bit couldn't hurt.

 

[rrlbees]

Excellent. Happy for DNic.

 

[dasher]

I love this.

 

[rrlbees]

I love this.

Wanna bet 3 guys he’ll work real hard with?

 

[capeorange]

Great choice!


But he's not a guard...

 

[dasher]

Wanna bet 3 guys he’ll work real hard with?

Chaz Owens and who else j/k

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Very cool.

 

[Ragman2000]

Also love that he's a guy who "paid his dues" here and continued to improve each year into one of the best pure shooters we've ever had by his senior year. A great example for the kids in this "transfer when times get tough" culture.

 

[Bayside44]

That's fantastic.

For those that pee and moan about JB's tough love approach, look no further than DNic.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

There was no reason that he was not a great shooter out of the gate. The stroke was there: one of the best to come into SU. I wondered if the shooting was confidence related.

Then I found out that he had a stuttering problem when he was younger, and not to sound ignorant, I always wonder if there was some connection.

iDK if we have any speech pathologists or psychologists on here to discuss it.

It just was a question for me in the back of my mind.
BTW he was totally screwed for BE POY and a false test for hepatitis (I believe) pre-draft probably kept him out of the late 1st round. Would love to hear that whole story as well. If true, I hope he was well compensated by the lab.

 

[sutomcat]

DNic was one of our best defenders on the baseline and should help teach defense from the perspective of a forward.

And yes, he came in with the rep as a great shooter but struggled with that for a couple of years (before eventually showing his true colors later; that guy can shoot).

I could see him helping young players going through these problems a lot.

Still remember walking with friends from this board down a Boston street, heading to the Garden when SU was in the middle of a road to an eventual NC. There was a kid in a doorway, talking trash and holding court. A really tall kid. He knew a lot about the program and clearly loved it.

I think I was the one who put two and two together (he was from the Boston area and I believe he had verbaled to Syracuse shortly beforehand) and asked him if he was Nichols. He said yes, and we had a nice pow wow with him. He was very pleased we knew who he was and how good he was.

Very nice kid. I am sure he will do well in this role.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

There was no reason that he was not a great shooter out of the gate. The stroke was there: one of the best to come into SU. I wondered if the shooting was confidence related.

Then I found out that he had a stuttering problem when he was younger, and not to sound ignorant, I always wonder if there was some connection.

iDK if we have any speech pathologists or psychologists on here to discuss it.

It just was a question for me in the back of my mind.
BTW he was totally screwed for BE POY and a false test for hepatitis (I believe) pre-draft probably kept him out of the late 1st round. Would love to hear that whole story as well. If true, I hope he was well compensated by the lab.

Here is a great article but doesn't really address that issue. There are a lot of well known athletes that overcame stuttering and as DNich alludes to it was willpower. DNich had a great professional career overseas and I am sure his willpower and desire had a lot to do with it.

Shooting is definitely all about confidence. Lots of guys can shoot high percentages in the gym but not in a game. Lots of it is mental but sometimes it's just getting used to seeing the game slow. I would love to get DNich's take on what he did. Demetris Nichols - National Stuttering Association

 

[rrlbees]

DNic was one of our best defenders on the baseline and should help teach defense from the perspective of a forward.

And yes, he came in with the rep as a great shooter but struggled with that for a couple of years (before eventually showing his true colors later; that guy can shoot).

I could see him helping young players going through these problems a lot.

Still remember walking with friends from this board down a Boston street, heading to the Garden when SU was in the middle of a road to an eventual NC. There was a kid in a doorway, talking trash and holding court. A really tall kid. He knew a lot about the program and clearly loved it.

I think I was the one who put two and two together (he was from the Boston area and I believe he had verbaled to Syracuse shortly beforehand) and asked him if he was Nichols. He said yes, and we had a nice pow wow with him. He was very pleased we knew who he was and how good he was.

Very nice kid. I am sure he will do well in this role.

either he did that a couple times or I was in that group because I remember that. If I recall correctly he was wearing a black stocking cap.

 

[sutomcat]

either he did that a couple times or I was in that group because I remember that. If I recall correctly he was wearing a black stocking cap.

That sounds right. I am not 100% sure but I think he was also wearing a green Celtics jacket. A nice one.

Hard to believe that was more than 18 years ago.

 

[rocklloyd]

That's fantastic.

For those that pee and moan about JB's tough love approach, look no further than DNic.

When he hires Kueth, i’ll stop pissing and moaning

 

[HoustonCuse]

Ran outta Boeheims I guess.

 

[CA Monk]

Love this family hire, but sometimes I wonder if we're getting a little too fraternal. We seem to do well w/a fresh, Orange-free set of eyes from a Troy Weaver or a Rob Murphy or, dare I say, a Rick Pitino.

 

[721Comstock]

Love this family hire, but sometimes I wonder if we're getting a little too fraternal. We seem to do well w/a fresh, Orange-free set of eyes from a Troy Weaver or a Rob Murphy or, dare I say, a Rick Pitino.

You do NOT dare say that.

The cure for a seventy-something old man maybe getting stale isn’t…
Another seventy-something old man.

Unless it’s in the White House.

 

[Jake]

D-Nic is one of the nicest guys to ever come through the program. Awesome news. Very interesting that he’s getting into coaching.

 

[CA Monk]

You do NOT dare say that.

The cure for a seventy-something old man maybe getting stale isn’t…
Another seventy-something old man.

Unless it’s in the White House.

Copy. But I meant back in the day, when we had these non-alumni guys on staff.

 

[721Comstock]

Copy. But I meant back in the day, when we had these non-alumni guys on staff.

I’d be totally fine w a non-alumni guy - especially if he’s an ace recruiter like a Troy Weaver.

But Pitino is too old and has more baggage than the belly of a 747.
And is a walking show-cause waiting to happen.

Hard pass.
In less than :15 seconds.

 

[bozophobe]

This nepotism (genetic and fraternal) thing is getting exponentially more disturbing.