Exclusive: Tyler Nickel Reflects on Vanderbilt Basketball Career and its Bitter End – Sports Illustrated

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OKLAHOMA CITY—The shot clock offered no reprieve as Tyler Nickel rotated up from the corner to the right wing and caught it with Nebraska wing Cale Jacobsen all but smothering him. Nickel caught it in the shooting pocket and had no choice but to fire away, though. 
By the time the shot clock’s remaining 4.5 seconds had expired, Nebraska was taking it out of the rim and Nickel was using his gaping strides to get back to the other end. The crowd was silent, but the Vanderbilt bench was as energized as it’d been all night. Vanderbilt led Nebraska  67-62 and was on the verge of closing out the biggest win of Nickel’s career. 
If this had ended the way it appeared to be heading as Nickel got back in a defensive stance, his shot would’ve been the type that would’ve fueled some type of nostalgia every time this game came up. The shot–and its significance–have since faded into the abyss, though. 
Turns out, that was the last signature moment Nickel will ever author in a Vanderbilt uniform. 
In reality, the shot doesn’t have much long term significance anymore. It’s just a vehicle that got Vanderbilt to the point in which Tyler Tanner’s halfcourt heave became one of college basketball’s most iconic misses in recent memory. The pervading memory of Nickel’s shot will be replaced by the visual of him crouched over on the floor with his hands on his head. 
Nickel’s college basketball career is over and he was only given a few moments on the floor to process it. 
“It sucks,” Nickel told Vandy on SI. “Just knowing that it was that close to not being over. Yeah, it hurts. There's a lot of other things that went into it, not to say that it was all on that shot. 
It wasn't. [Tanner] just put up a great look at the end, but man, the end stinks.” 
Nickel was far from inconsolable at his locker postgame, but his usual swagger had been pulled out of him and the light in his voice had noticeably dimmed as he addressed what the future would hold. The Vanderbilt wing will work to launch a professional career from here, but he’ll likely spend some semblance of time grieving the loss of his fruitful Vanderbilt career. 
The Vanderbilt wing joined this program two seasons ago after spending a year at each of his first two programs and was perceived as a program hopper that may never be able to find a home. Nickel knows that to be untrue as he walks around Vanderbilt’s campus in the days following its NCAA Tournament loss to Nebraska, though. 
Nickel calls Vanderbilt his college home these days. The personal growth he experienced in this place, he says, is unlike what he’s experienced elsewhere. The most eloquent way he can sum up his experience is that it just felt right to him. Perhaps that biggest indicator of what this marriage of sorts meant to Nickel is that he had to fight back tears on the way out to halfcourt as he was honored for senior day. 
“It's the most fun I've had playing basketball, probably ever in my life,” Nickel said in regard to his Vanderbilt experience. “The people I've met here, just the university itself, just everything that I've had an opportunity to do here—it's been amazing. 
I wouldn't trade my experience being here for the world.”
Whether Nickel realizes it or not, his experience has benefitted this place as much as it’s benefitted him over the past two years. The program Nickel took a chance on two offseasons ago was coming off of a 9-23 season and had no proof of concept to point to as it recruited him. Nickel bought Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington’s vision, though. 
Two years later, he’s been a starter on two NCAA Tournament teams in a row, finished with a 27-6 record at Memorial Gymnasium and was part of two groups that re-energized Vanderbilt basketball. Even if that’s not able to be remembered right now, Nickel wants 
“That I really cared and was an intense competitor day in and day out and wanted to win,” Nickel said, “For everybody in this locker, everybody in this program, everybody, for the university.”
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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