19. Kipper Nichols (Old: 3-star/0.8435 – New: 3-star/0.8911)
I always have respect for players who go through a coaching change and stick with the program. It is rough not knowing what the future might hold. Despite having the coach who just persuaded him to transfer in getting fired, Kipper Nichols stuck with the Illini.
Nichols was a 6-foot-6, 200-pound small forward coming out of St. Edward High School and residing in Lakewood, Ohio. He was rated as a three-star recruit who was the No. 282 player in the class of 2015 and the No. 58 small forward in the nation. He also had a composite rating of 0.8435.
The recruitment for Nichols seemed to have been over with the commitment to Tulane. He enrolled with the Green Wave but decided to transfer out before even stepping foot on campus. Illinois would be the eventual landing spot for Nichols.
With the Illini, Nichols put up some solid numbers. He ended up starting a total of 25 games and played in 116 games during his Illinois career. In the four years he spent with the Orange and Blue, Nichols averaged 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Nichols was a good get for Groce before he departed. This kid came into the Illinois program as a three-star with a rating of 0.8435. I would actually bump him up substantially to a three-star with a rating of 0.8911.