St. Bonaventure's Nicholson eyes future in NBA, physics
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In the science center classrooms at St. Bonaventure University, Andrew Nicholson -- 6 feet 9 and an NBA prospect -- is just like any other student who takes his education seriously.
There, his 7-foot-3 wingspan and court presence matters not to discussions of thermodynamics or electromagnetism.
Nicholson, perhaps the Atlantic 10 Conference's top NBA prospect-- and a solid bet for a career in physics after that -- is a major reason the Bonnies (12-9, 5-4 Atlantic 10) are on the edge of the A-10 race.
Duquesne travels to St. Bonaventure in western New York today to face Nicholson, a college basketball rarity for his combined abilities on and off the court.
- Matchup: Duquesne (14-9, 5-4 Atlantic 10) at St. Bonaventure (12-9, 5-4), 4:05 p.m. today, Reilly Center, St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
- TV, radio, Internet: CBS Sports Network, WPGB-FM (104.7), RedZoneMedia.com and GoDuquesne.com.
- Duquesne: Coming off two consecutive wins. ... Are 3-5 on the road, 2-2 in A-10 road tests. ... Beat the Bonnies, 66-52, at home Jan. 7, with F Sean Johnson scoring 17 points. ... Johnson (sick), however, is questionable for this game. ... Began the week ranked No. 3 in the nation in turnover margin at plus-5.7. ... Had five scorers in double digits last game.
- St. Bonaventure: Have won the past three meetings at Reilly Center. ... Are 8-1 at home. ... Led by 6-foot-9 F Andrew Nicholson (15.4 ppg, 7.1 rebounds per game). ... G/F Demitrius Conger averages 12 points a game and has 45 assists.
- Hidden stat: St. Bonaventure has won its A-10 home games this season by an average of 19.3 points per game.
"I enjoy learning about how the world works," said Nicholson. "Physics is just something I'm pretty good at."
So is basketball.
On the court, he averages a team-high 15.4 points a game, coupled with 7.1 rebounds, both among the top 10 in the league. He has 33 blocks.
Against Duquesne last month, he got into early foul trouble and was held to an atypical, 11-point, 6-rebound, 24-minute performance in a Dukes win.
The Dukes expect everything he can deliver today.
"You look at the guy and say he's probably the best NBA prospect in our league, which kind of speaks to his ability to disrupt you defensively and create things on offense," said Duquesne coach Ron Everhart. "We'll have our work cut out for us. We'll try to limit his touches and try to take away some of the things he does well.
First Published February 11, 2012 12:00 am
