Nickelberry thriving in first season at Florida State
Photo by FSU athletics
By Chuck Walsh
Seminoles.com
Josh Nickelberry received his first scholarship offer to play college basketball from Baylor University. That offer came while he was a freshman in high school.
Now in his first season at Florida State, Nickelberry is thriving as a Seminole.
Following a 12-point and three-assist performance in Florida State’s 94-67 win over Central Michigan in the first round of the 2023 Sunshine Slam last Monday at the Donald L. Tucker Center, Nickelberry has settled into life as a college student and basketball player at Florida State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in journalism from La Salle University in April, and he’s currently pursuing a certificate in Athletic Coaching as a graduate student at FSU.
Nickelberry arrived in Tallahassee during the summer and quickly began acclimating himself into coach Leonard Hamilton’s system.
“I’d say I’ve settled in for sure,” said Nickelberry who was named as the Sixth Man of the Year in the Atlantic 10 as a senior in 2023. “I’m continuing to learn our system every day. My biggest adjustment was probably learning our style of play, especially defensively. Learning all of our principles was a lot different from what I was used to.”
In two seasons at Louisville, he averaged 7.3 minutes played per game in just 24 games played. He thrived at La Salle as he averaged 25 minutes played in 73 games and averaged in double figure scoring in both seasons at the downtown Philadelphia school.
During his two seasons at Louisville, the Cardinals played a pack line defense and an offensive style which was predicated on executing plays. At La Salle, the Explorers played a traditional man to man defense and a relatively unscripted motion offense.
The Seminoles’ style of play certainly fits Nickelberry well.
He’s averaging 10.5 points per game while shooting nearly 68 percent from the floor in the first two games of the season. He’s been among the first players substituted into both games and has been an instant energy boost on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. With Nickelberry in the lineup, the Seminoles are averaging 94.0 points scored, while holding Kennesaw State and Central Michigan to a combined .398 shooting mark from the floor.
“Defensively, I love how aggressive we play,” said Nickelberry. “I love how we force turnovers and turn them into offensive possessions. Our defensive philosophy makes it difficult for our opponent to execute their game plans.”
In its first two games, Florida State has blocked 10 shots and earned 22 steals. The Seminoles have turned their opponents’ 38 turnovers into 46 points. In Florida State’s win over Kennesaw State, the Seminoles totaled nine blocked shots and nine steals. In their win over Central Michigan, the Seminoles totaled 13 steals.
