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NASHVILLE—In a few hours, former Vanderbilt basketball standout Tyler Nickel has a chance to have his dreams come true by being selected in the second round of the NBA Draft.
Multiple industry sources tell Vandy on SI that Nickel is likely to be selected in Wednesday night's portion of the draft after a predraft process in which he visited with double-digit teams and showcased his profile as a wing with adequate positional size and a shooting profile that stacks up with the draft's best.
Nickel's confidence shined through during those workouts, too.
“My skill on the court, my ability on the court is what makes me an NBA player,” Nickel said, “And I think what a player at this level needs to have is an insane level of confidence—to a point of almost delusion. People have said that about me. They told me that I was never going to be a high major basketball player, and hard work to give myself to a point of almost insanity got me there, and then from then on, just being consistent, getting better every year, it's been the same thing and just believing in your path, running your race. I think that my work and everything that I am, and everything that I do is put me here and it's not gonna stop now.”
Here's our best work–including a number of exclusive interviews–chronicling Nickel's journey and his unique personality throughout his senior season at Vanderbilt.
https://www.si.com/college/vanderbilt/basketball/exclusive-tyler-nickel-reflects-on-vanderbilt-basketball-career-and-its-bitter-end
https://www.si.com/college/vanderbilt/basketball/how-tyler-nickel-s-left-arm-sleeve-tells-his-story
https://www.si.com/college/vanderbilt/basketball/inside-former-vanderbilt-basketball-standout-tyler-nickel-s-nba-predraft-process
https://www.si.com/college/vanderbilt/basketball/how-tyler-nickel-has-been-able-to-show-nba-teams-his-passing-ability
https://www.si.com/college/vanderbilt/basketball/i-think-being-at-the-three-gives-me-some-more-opportunity-tyler-nickel-preparing-for-position-change-in-2025
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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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