By Donald Hunt
Omar Nichols has recently put the finishing touches on a good season for him as well as the Franklin & Marshall College basketball team. Nichols, a former Friends’ Central standout, averaged 10.0 points and 2.6 rebounds a game while leading the Diplomats 20-7 overall, 14-4 league) to the semifinals of the Centennial Conference tournament before losing to John Hopkins, 76-55, to wrap up the season.
“We lost to John Hopkins in the semifinals that was a tough one for us,” said Nichols, who had 27 steals and connected on 54 three pointers this season. “They’re a heard team to beat. They had a great all-around team.”
Nichols, a 6-3, 185-pound senior guard, developed a good foundation for the game from his playing days at Friends’ Central. He played against some great competition in the Friends League.
“We had a pretty good team,” Nichols said. “It was hard playing against Westtown with Mo Bamba [who now plays for the Philadelphia 76ers] and Cam Reddish [who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers]. They had Sam Sessoms [former Coppin State star] at Shipley. It was a hard conference. I think now it’s a little more open. I got to play against some really good talent.”
Franklin and Marshall senior guard Omar Nichols. (Photo/ Franklin & Marshall Athletics)
Friends' Central Alum Omar Nichols (Photo/ F&M Athletics)
Nichols has performed well on and off the court. He has a double major business and public policy. He has a certificate in social entrepreneurship from F&M. He will graduate this year. He has a big decision in regards to his basketball career in the coming months.
“I got another year of eligibility,” Nichols said. “I’m really trying to think if I want to take that on [or] just going straight to work. I came in COVID [19] year. So, they gave everybody an extra year of eligibility. I actually have a job lined up. I did two summers at Pricewaterhouse Cooper [LLP]. It’s a consulting firm [20th and Market Streets]. They actually offered me a return offer to come full time. I have a job in place. They will hold my job for next year if I decide to use my other year of eligibility.”
If Nichols stays at F&M or an extra year, he knows what he needs to do to take his game to the next level.
“I could always shoot the basketball,” said Nichols, who earned All Sportsmanship honors from the Centennial Conference. “I think for me just finishing. I can get to the rim when I want to. I think I’ll spend my summer on finishing plays. If I can finish, I can jump up around 14 to 16 points a game. Just leaving points out there on the floor, I would have been averaging a little bit more.”
Omar Nichols is in a great position to have a bright future with all things he’s accomplished throughout his career.