Memphis lands local five-star Nichols
The thought was that a decision would be coming very soon for Austin Nichols. Monday morning, the five-star decided that he would stay home.
A 6-foot-8 forward at Briarcrest Christian on the outskirts of Memphis, Nichols is a Memphis Tiger.
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"We just committed to Memphis," Nichols father Mark confirmed to Rivals.com. "We just thought that the hometown atmosphere would be really good and that he would be comfortable here."
An athletic run and jump player who has good skill, Nichols has recently bulked up to just over 220 pounds. In addition to the playing style at Memphis, he was attracted to playing with local kids that he's already familiar with.
"There are several players that he's comfortable with and played with there," said the elder Nichols. "He' just decided to stay home. It's good to have this over with. It's been a long process but it's been fun and hectic.
Not surprisingly, the persistence of Josh Pastner was huge. There was a time when the Tigers looked dead in the water for Nichols but Pastner never gave up.
"He was huge," said Nichols. "He's got a good coaching staff and he did a good job and never wavered. He must have done a good job he's got Austin. They did a great job but so did all of schools recruiting him. Memphis was just the best fit."
Ranked No. 19 in the country, Nichols joins what will now be considered the No. 2 recruiting class in the country. Also on board are No. 25 Kuran Iverson, No. 38 Nick King, No. 51 Markel Crawford and No. 99 Rashawn Powell.
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