PLAYER PROFILE: DEMETRIS NICHOLS

Like Levon Kendall of Pittsburgh, we classified this season for Demetris Nichols as "now or never' earlier in the season. Part of a highly touted recruiting class that returns, in tact, for their junior season, this is the make or break year for Demetris Nichols at Syracuse. With the graduation of Josh Pace, Hakim Warrick and Craig Forth, Hall of Fame Coach Jim Boeheim is going to have to depend very much on the class he signed furing his national championship season. Nichols and classmated Louie McCroskey, Terrence Roberts and Daryl Watkins will now play a prominent role for the first time in their careers, rather than the supporting roles they have taken in their first two seasons. No player is more under the microscope or holds a bigger key to how successful the Orange will be in 2005-2006 than Demetris Nichols.

At 6'8 and over 205 lbs, Nichols has the look of a player built specefically for the Syracuse system, especially their zone defense. Nichols is long, athletic and is a player that can rebound and defend the wings on the baseline of the Syracuse zone. This is importnat because the SU zone needs to have a player on the baseline that can hold their own on the boards and when Syracuse was forced to play Josh Pace on the block defensively, they were very susceptible to certain teams that would attack along the baseline on that side. So, when Nichols saw his time decrease because of cold shooting, Syracuse suffered even more defensively and on the boards by having to alter their line-up and moving the smaller Pace on the block.

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With 6'6 wing Mike Jones and 6'4 monster Paul Harris both verbally committed to joining the Orange in 2006 and Eric Devendorf a freshmen in 2005, Nichols could feel the pinch once again if he does not step up his game in his junior season and could find himself out of the mix once and for all. Nichols also suffered and ill-timed back injury as a sophomore and never seemed to find his rhtyhm or confidence after coming back from the injury prior to the Big East season.

When Nichols was recruited out of St Andrews Prep School out of Barrington, RI, a common comparison of his game was to Preston Shumpert, the very productive Syracuse wing that completed his eligibility just prior to Nichols' commitment. Shumpert, also a quiet individual, was a smooth player that could hit shots along the baseline, beyond the arc and hold his own inside on the boards. Nichols is Syracuse's best perimeter defender, but, to play alot for Jim Boeheim, you must hit shots and Nichols has been unable to take some of the pressure from Gerry McNamara on the perimeter, especially last season.

After last season concluded, the Daily Orange had an excellent article on Nichols (Nichols is Key to Orange Future) and his Syracuse experience over his first two seasons. Late in the season last year, internet message boards began rumors that Nichols could be on his way out of Syracuse, but his prep school coach Mike Hart never heard a word from Nichols that he was considering a transfer, even though college coaches called him to check up on his former player. The article talks extensively to Mike Hopkins as well and shows the kind of teammate and hard worker Nichols is. I can not help put think that this is going to be a break out season for Nichols and he will be a big reason why Syracuse will remain in contention for a league title, despite losing a big chunk of their scoring and rebounding from last year's team. If Nichols can get off to a good start early in the season, his confidence will grow and he will look like the player many of us expected when he signed on with Syracuse. In reality, the Orange have few options to turn to if Nichols does not come up big, so, look for Coach Boeheim to tand behind his man and help him get his confidence back to make a difference.