Tyler Nickel has been out of high school for less than a year, but his alma mater is already making plans to honor the UNC freshman wing. East Rockingham High School in Elkton, VA, announced they would retire Nickel’s jersey on Thursday.

Nickel, who wears No. 24 with the Tar Heels, wore No. 5 while playing for East Rockingham. Nickel is the highest-scoring player in the history of the Virginia High School League with 2,909 career points. East Rockingham already has an acknowledgement of Nickel’s record on the wall of its gym.

Nickel has already showed his scoring touch in his brief time as a Tar Heel, scoring a career-high 16 points (all in the second half) in Carolina’s win against The Citadel earlier this month. The freshman is currently averaging 8.1 minutes and 3.5 points per game.

According to East Rockingham, Nickel will attend the ceremony on Thursday, which is the day after Carolina’s game against Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte on Wednesday night. The game with the Wolverines is UNC’s last before the Christmas holiday.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Past and Present
Michael Malone may not come from the “Carolina Family,” but Hubert Davis made him feel like an adopted son.
Report: UNC Men's Basketball Hiring Chuck Martin as Associate Head Coach
Michael Malone is already working to fill out his staff. According to reports from both Inside Carolina and college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Malone and UNC are hiring Arkansas assistant Chuck Martin to be the Tar Heels’ associate head coach. Michael Malone has landed his top assistant, as Arkansas' Chuck Martin is set to join […]
Chansky's Notebook: New York Fire
David Glenn digs into the background of new UNC men's basketball head coach Michael Malone, who was introduced Tuesday.
'I'm Attacking This Job': Michael Malone Introduces Himself to the Carolina Family
The next chapter in the long history of UNC men’s basketball began at 6 p.m. on the dot Tuesday night at the Dean Smith Center.
UNC Men's Basketball to Hire NBA Champion Michael Malone as Next Head Coach
The UNC men’s basketball program has hired former NBA head coach Michael Malone, who led the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship, to the same position in Chapel Hill. ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the news Monday afternoon shortly before 2 p.m., with Inside Carolina confirming similar reports minutes later. The program then confirmed the […]
Chansky's Notebook: They Like Mike
When looking closer at the next UNC head men's basketball coach, there are a few factors which likely contributed to his candidacy.
Tracking Which UNC Men's Basketball Players Have Entered the 2026 Transfer Portal
The NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal opened Tuesday, April 7, the day after the national championship game. Following UNC head coach Hubert Davis’ dismissal on March 24, several Tar Heels have entered their names into the portal and pursue other opportunities. Here’s a list of which players have either made announcements or are reported to […]
Derek Dixon Shares Plan to Enter Transfer Portal, Open to Return to UNC
Despite the reported news of UNC men’s basketball selecting its next head coach on Monday, freshman point guard Derek Dixon share he plans to enter the transfer portal when possible on Tuesday. Dixon made the announcement on social media just a few hours after reports leaked of Carolina Athletics planning to hire former Denver Nuggets […]
Chansky's Notebook: Firm Foundation
Thanks to the very strong foundation at UNC, coaches don’t need to be talked into the idea that they can win there.
UNC Guard Isaiah Denis Entering Transfer Portal, But Open to Returning to Chapel Hill
UNC guard Isaiah Denis, who spent his freshman season as part of the 2025-26 Tar Heels, announced Sunday he will be entering the transfer portal when it opens Tuesday, April 7. Denis made the announcement on his Instagram page. View this post on Instagram Denis arrived at Chapel Hill as a four-star prospect from Davidson […]
›