2020-2021 Western New York Season Review- Week 1

<p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b><i>High School Basketball tipped off in Western New York in mid-February 2021. This article will touch on how the Nichols Vikings have started their season.</i></b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Nichols - 1-3 Overall</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first section of the 2020-2021 season came and went in a flash. The Vikings were busy in the inaugural week, playing 4 total games. They won one and lost three, equating to a .025 winning percentage. Both losses came at home, while they picked up a solid road victory 2/13 at Saint Mary’s in Lancaster, New York.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Vikings will go as far as their senior backcourt duo of [player_tooltip player_id="1047752" first="Hugh" last="Purks"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1047754" first="Jesse" last="Adamu"] will take them. Both players are comfortable with the ball in their hands to set up their teammates. So far, the results have been mixed. While they share the ball, turnovers have been the biggest issue that has held Nichols back. Between the two of them, they average ten turnovers per game. That number is far too high and needs to come down in order for the Vikings to be more competitive. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A player making a big impact so far is Jakye Rainey. In his first Varsity season for the Vikings, he has carved out a role for himself already with his accurate shooting. He has played well off of Purks and Adamu, allowing them more space by forcing defenses to shadow him while they worry about the threat of his jumpshot. He has good mechanics and is able to get his shot off from a variety of angles, even when he may be being chased off of his spot.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another Nichols player who showed out his first week is Ryan McCarthy. The Junior forward has averaged 10.8 points and 7.3 rebounds, while guarding both inside and out. Unsurprisingly, McCarthy’s output against Saint Mary’s was a big reason that Nichols emerged victoriously; he poured in 17 points and snared 11 rebounds. Perhaps most importantly, he pestered the Gaels for 4 steals, adding to his reputation as a solid, two-way contributor.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Next Up:</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">@ St. Francis 2/17</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b><i>All Stats Come From Maxpreps.com. All Analysis Is My Own.</i></b></p>