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
‹
UNC Men's Basketball Releases 2026-27 ACC Schedule
The ACC revealed the men’s basketball league schedule for the 2026-27 season Wednesday afternoon. UNC’s league games begin Dec. 30 and end March 6. Mark your calendars 📅 pic.twitter.com/BXaZ7OHdJd — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) September 9, 2026 The Tar Heels will begin conference play by hosting Cal at the Smith Center Wednesday, Dec. 30. Carolina is […]
Michael Malone Announces Full UNC Men's Basketball Coaching Staff
Michael Malone and the UNC men’s basketball program have officially announced the full coaching staff for the 2026-27 season, Malone’s first as head coach of the Tar Heels. Official. pic.twitter.com/KmX5Ct793x — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) September 3, 2026 The staff features three holdovers from former head coach Hubert Davis’ staff: Sean May and Pat Sullivan will […]
'Something Much Bigger than Myself': Highlights from Michael Malone's Sep. 3 Press Conference
UNC men’s basketball head coach Michael Malone met with the media at the Dean Smith Center Thursday morning. In his comments, Malone addressed eligibility issues around center Cameron Fens, the shifting legal landscape around college sports, his coaching style and more. Read highlights from the press conference, which have been lightly edited for clarity, below: […]
UNC's Cameron Fens Now Ineligible After Tennessee Court Ruling
Cameron Fens, a seven-foot center who transferred to UNC from South Dakota earlier in August, is now ineligible to play for the Tar Heels in the 2026-27 season after ruling from the Tennessee Court of Appeals Wednesday. The court has issued a stay on the injunction granted to several athletes – Fens included – who […]
Full 2026-27 Roster, Jersey Numbers Announced for UNC Men's Basketball
The UNC men’s basketball program has announced its full roster, complete with jersey numbers, for the 2026-27 season, the team’s first under head coach Michael Malone. The squad is set 🔒 pic.twitter.com/oQ3cJfS4iH — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) August 21, 2026 The roster features six players from the 2025-26 team: senior forward Jarin Stevenson, senior guard Jaydon Young, senior […]
The NCAA Has Won a Victory in the Class of 2022 Debate. What Does it Mean for UNC?
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit granted a stay in the case of Wisne v. NCAA, temporarily putting on hold an injunction which had allowed student-athletes from the high school class of 2022 to play a fifth collegiate season this year. This ruling means players such as UNC kicker Rece Verhoff […]
Chansky's Notebook: Power to the People!
Wednesday's announcement of a two-year, two-game series between UNC and NC State in Greensboro sent a clear message.
UNC Men's Basketball Unveils Complete Non-Conference Schedule for 2026-27 Season
UNC published its full non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season Thursday. Though several games on the schedule had already been confirmed earlier, Thursday marked the first time the full list of games had been unveiled. Non-conference schedule is set 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/2IHQK7XHnC — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) August 20, 2026 Carolina will start with three exhibition games: […]
UNC Men's Basketball Facing NC State in Non-Conference Matchup at Greensboro Coliseum
UNC will face NC State in a non-conference matchup at Greensboro’s First Horizon Coliseum Tuesday, Dec. 15. The coliseum confirmed the game, dubbed the “Old Dominion Freight Line Tobacco Road Classic,” with an announcement Wednesday. A tip-off time is yet to be announced, and tickets will go on sale Sep. 10 on the coliseum website. […]
Chansky's Notebook: Setting the Expectations
In his first public comments since April, UNC head coach Michael Malone laid out his expectations for Year 1 and beyond in Chapel Hill.
›