EMERSON, Ga. – Josh Nickelberry had a terrific weekend at the Hoop Stars Tip Off, helping the Georgia Stars 16U team advance to the championship in the 17U division. Nickelberry’s three-point shooting in the semifinal matchup with the Georgia Tornados busted open a tight game early in the second half.
The 6-foot-4 guard in the 2019 class is already a hot commodity on the recruiting trail. Louisville, Nebraska, LSU, NC State and UCLA are among the schools showing heavy interest lately while North Carolina, Florida, Baylor, Clemson, Georgia and Georgia Tech have already offered.
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
North Carolina: “It was exciting. It was great. I was glad they won, but it was tough for them. They had some tough games. I’m really cool with the coaches. Every time I go there, coach (Roy) Williams and them show a lot of love. I have a real good relationship with them.”
NC State: “I think it’s a good move for coach (Kevin) Keatts going from where he was to the ACC. He got Lavar Batts to commit already. I think he’s going to do well there.”
Louisville: “They’ve been talking to my coaches and I’ve talked to them a little bit. They said they’ll be in to see me play this month and they said they like my game.”
Florida: “They are good. They play hard. They had a nice run at the end of the season and I like the way they play.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Nickelberry will be focused on playing with the Georgia Stars 16U team for the rest of the month and through the Nike EYBL season. He also hopes to take some visits in the near future. Nothing is planned yet, but he hopes to see Louisville and UCLA at some point, and would like to make another stop at both North Carolina and Duke. Don’t expect a decision any time too soon from the North Carolina native.
RIVALS’ REACTION
North Carolina should probably be considered the school to beat at this point in his recruitment. The Tar Heels rarely miss on in-state targets and have a ton of momentum right now coming off the national title. There is still a long way to go, which leaves plenty of time for programs such as Louisville and UCLA to get him on campus and win him over.
