2011 Recruiting Target- Andrew Nicholas

Last July, rising junior Andrew Nicholas of Eastern York High School made an early pledge to Rutgers coach Fred Hill. When he signed with Rutgers, he claimed offers from Virginia Tech, Saint Joseph's, Georgia Tech, Penn State,and Temple.

Andrew's commitment to Rutgers appears to be in question since the firing of coach Fred Hill.

Prior to Hill's departure from Rutgers, Nicholas told The Varsity Beat that he would consider Villanova, Saint Joseph's, and Penn State if the coach left.

It has now been over a month since Hill left Rutgers, and Nicholas appears to be on the market. If that is the case, Hawk Hill sounds like a legitimate contender to land his services considering his list. Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis is certainly on the hot seat at Penn State, which could be a factor if Nicholas is to officially reopen his recruitment. As for Villanova, they already have a 2011 commitment from shooting guard Ashcraf Yacoubou and have some depth on the wing. I am not implying that Nicholas is a lock to land on Hawk Hill. While Nicholas stated that he would reopen his recruitment if Hill was fired, I have not found anything since that firing saying that the recruitment was reopened.

The Hawks got lucky when Saint John's head coach Norm Roberts was fired, leading Ronald Roberts to open things back up, and ultimately join Saint Joseph's 2010 recruiting class. Could the firing of another Big East coach lead to another break for the Hawks? Time will tell.

Nicholas is a high-level shooter from the perimeter, with significant size, in the 6'6 range. The lefty played at a high level this past season for Eastern York High School. Last week, he scored 23 points at the Donfrio Classic for the Bucks County All Stars.

I am hoping to hear more on Nicholas' situation on the coming days.

The Varsity Beat