Nolan Hickman met all of the outside noise head-on to put together a career year in his junior season with theThe 6-foot-2 junior was placed with high expectations from day one as a former top-50 recruit who was once committed to play for John Calipari and Kentucky. The early returns weren’t as impressive as some had hoped. He played sparingly as a freshman behind Andrew Nembhard before taking on the responsibility as the team’s primary ballhandler, a role that didn’t quite suit his skillset.
“Nolan Hickman’s year-to-year growth was huge,” said Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson on Gonzaga Nation. “Statistically it was incredible improvements, but more importantly to me his growth as a leader was huge. He was a great mentor to the two freshmen … he was a voice we heard a lot more, but especially I know those freshmen adjusting to college basketball and helping bring them along … that’s so valuable to our program.
After shooting a respectable 35.4% from downtown as a sophomore, Hickman bumped that average up to 41.3% as a junior on higher volume. From catch-and-shoot opportunities in transition to off-the-dribble around a screen, he looked to capitalize on just about every open look the defense presented him. No longer did he show signs of hesitancy or a lack of trust in himself - instead he looked and played like a more confident player.
Gonzaga Bulldogs College Basketball
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