What Moser and the Sooners will get in dual-sport athlete CJ Nickson
Football is not the only sport that Oklahoma commit CJ Nickson has the chance to play in Norman. Throughout his high school career, Nickson has played both football and basketball and should he choose to continue that at Oklahoma, he will have the opportunity. Since he will be on a football scholarship, Porter Moser and the Sooners can add him to their roster without using a basketball scholarship, which is what Oklahoma plans to do.
On the court, Nickson has the capability to play both forward spots. He has been a vital piece in Weatherford's back-to-back appearances in the 4A state championship game. In his junior season, Nickson averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Playing with Team Griffin on the EYBL circuit, Nickson has averaged 12.3 points per game, shooting an impressive 53.4% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range. In 15 games, he has also averaged 3.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.7 steals. Despite playing 22.4 minutes per game, Nickson has managed to keep his turnovers to a minimum, averaging just 0.5 per game with an assist/turnover ratio of 0.9.
In EYBL session four, Nickson averaged 11.8 points and had many impressive moments, including a 19-point performance against the Georgia Stars. In addition, Nickson notched 15 points against Drive Nation and 13 points against Houston Hoops.
"He’s a very skilled player," said Kellen McCoy, the director of Team Griffin. "He really uses his ability to cause mismatches and takes advantage of them. He can handle and score from the perimeter or inside, and he's extremely strong and physical when attacking the rim. He's also an amazingly polite and respectful young man."
McCoy highlighted some of the main attributes that stand out when watching Nickson on the court. His ability to attack the rim physically is one of the first things you notice. Nickson also possesses a high basketball IQ, knowing when to attack and when to hold back.
Roy Wycoff, who coaches from Team Griffin, said that Nickson is an "Incredible young man first and foremost." Wycoff then spoke about Nickson's game saying, "He is an absolute stud. Super high ceiling. Can play on the perimeter or in the post on offense and defense! Blue collar attitude with great strength and athleticism! Impacts the game in every way. Love everything about CJ as a player and a person."
While he may not have a four-star rating in basketball like he does in football, he is a very solid player. For a non-scholarship addition on the court, he is as good as it gets. The question now is whether Nickson can make it work playing both sports.