Syracuse Basketball: Top 50 Players in School History (35-31)

#33: Demetris Nichols

Forward: 2003-2007

Nichols was not a huge star while in Orange, but he was better than the talent that surrounded him. Tied with Billy Gabor on the All-Time SU Scoring list at 1,344 points, Nichols was a sharpshooter who liked the big moments. He only averaged 3-4 points his first two years in Orange before exploding for 13 and 19 points in his junior and senior seasons, according to Orangehoops.org.

Nichols was especially good at hitting the mid-range and three-point shot. He did not share the basketball much, but was still a threat every time he came down the floor. That’s mostly because he could create shots for himself.

In his senior year, he garnered Honorable mention All-American honors as well as Big East First Team honors, according to Cuse.com. As a result, he earned a second round selection as the 53rd pick in the NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Soon after the draft though, he was traded to the New York Knicks. Nichols would be cut before the season began though, and was picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Nichols would play only four more games in his second year with the Bulls and Knicks combined. Since then, Nichols has played international basketball for multiple professional teams.

Nichols earns his spot on this list because he’s someone we’ll always remember for one reason: he could score with the best of them.