CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina – Tyler Nickel returned to the Smith Center Saturday morning to participate in Virginia Tech's team shootaround. It was just a few hours until his return game here in Chapel Hill.
The winger from Harrisonburg, Virginia, played at North Carolina last season before entering the transfer portal in March 2023, ultimately opting to move closer to home and join the Hokies. He is believed to be the first former Tar Heel to play against UNC at the Smith Center.
Nickel responded by scoring in No. 1's 96-81 victory. 7 Tar Heels hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 points off the Virginia Tech bench on Saturday afternoon. He also added a season-high three blocked shots on defense.
“It definitely brought back some memories and things like that,” Nickel told Inside Carolina after the game. “It was all good. It felt really comfortable. It felt comfortable there, it felt good playing against the boys. Just being here again, it was cool.”
Nickel checked in at 15:25 of the first half. 45 seconds later, he hit a three-pointer from the wing over the ball from UNC forward Jae'Lyn Withers. And less than a minute later, Nickel scored his second three-pointer, this time with a curl and a catch-and-shoot from the opposing wing.
“I told them, 'You can't let T-Nick get hot,'” UNC guard RJ Davis said. “But you know, it’s always good to see him. I’m just proud of him for his performance and the way he’s playing this year.”
Last season, Nickel made four three-pointers at the Smith Center throughout his first year with the Tar Heels. He achieved this value beyond the arc in 28 minutes of play on Saturday.
UNC guard Seth Trimble hugs Virginia Tech's Tyler Nickel on Saturday. (Photo: Jim Hawkins / Inside Carolina)
But Nickel also extended his influence to the Hokies' defensive end. He was responsible for all three of Virginia Tech's blocked shots against UNC. During a sequence near the end of the first half, Nickel punched away at a friend Seth Trimble's ride when the UNC security guard stumbled through the alley.
“I just got over that,” Nickel said, smiling in a lighthearted moment after the game. “He’s sick about it too.”
Trimble chimed in on their back-and-forth banter after the game: “He knew I stumbled a little bit, that's the only reason he blocked it. He would never have gotten that. But it was a good block, so I’ll give it to him.”
Trimble and nickel have a particularly close bond. They were roommates last year as freshmen at Carolina, along with then-freshmen Jalen Washington and Will Shaver. Trimble said that the four former roommates still message each other in the same group chat and that he speaks to Nickel almost every other day.
When shaking hands after the game, Trimble and Nickel hugged each other and gave each other a big hug at the end of the line. Their families, as well as Trimble and Nickel, visited each other and spent some time talking outside the visiting team's locker rooms after the game.
“We just want to catch up and tell him we miss him,” Trimble said. “Tell him we love you but I hate you during this game. So, you know, it is what it is.”
As Nickel made his way toward the exits of the Smith Center after the game, he crossed paths with UNC coach Hubert Davis, who was about to enter the media workroom for his postgame press conference. Davis shared a moment with Nickel and told him, “I'm so proud of you, great job.”
Nickel's scoring average of 9.2 points per game ranks fourth for the Hokies this season. He ranks second on the Virginia Tech team with 46 shots from 3-point range, behind only sharpshooter Hunter Cattoor, and he's shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc after going 4-on-1 from long range against the Tar Heels -6 hit.
Nickel said there was a lot of playful “smack talk” between him and his former Carolina teammates, specifically pointing out Trimble, RJ Davis and Armando Bacot. RJ Davis said he threw some friendly jabs at the nickel at the free throw line during the game. His return to the Smith Center – UNC's ninth straight home win over Virginia Tech – was a unique experience for both the nickel and the Tar Heels.
“It's weird because it's familiar and you see these people like they're family,” Nickel said. “It's obviously great to see them. Given the situation that we have to go out and get going, everything is a competition and we all love it.”