Recruiting Update: Riley Nichol (2019 Stayton HS/Nike Team Northwest 17U)
When we first saw Riley Nichol back in May, we were immediately impressed with his frame, size, and developing skill level. It appears that college coaches have noticed the rock-solid 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward from Stayton in the month of July as well. Nichol has seen his college recruitment take shape and when we caught up with him, he was just coming off a campus visit to a school that has emerged as his early leader.
“I’m actually on a camping trip right now as we made a trip out of it visiting Puget Sound,” Nichol said. “The tour was there on the 20th and I loved it there. It seems like a great school and a great campus, and Coach (Aubrey) Shelton seems like he would be a great coach for me. I’m not committing anywhere yet but they’re number one for me at this point.”
As much as he enjoyed his time at Puget Sound, the reason Nichol stopped short of committing is because he’s received plenty of interest from other schools. He noted that he’s looking at visiting George Fox and potentially Redlands in California, and he’s also fielded calls and texts from Alaska-Anchorage and Chaminade. And while he hasn’t heard from any Division I schools, he’s keeping open that avenue as well.
“I’m just going with the flow,” Nichol said. “With all these schools I’d like to be a teacher, so I’m looking for a good program with that – and Puget Sound has that. And as for basketball, I’d like a good program too.”
Nichol noted that the majority of the interest came after Nike Team Northwest’s run in the Bellevue tournament. “I had a couple of coaches already contacting me before (Bellevue) and then even more after they saw me there,” Nichol said. “I really improved on everything I said I wanted to this summer. I got my name out there and did what I could do with the team, with rebounding and everything.”
Nichol currently ranks as the #72 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2019 rankings.