By Tom Seipp, Sports Editor
It’s always special when a notable St. Bonaventure alum returns to campus.
It’s even more special when it’s a former first-round NBA draft pick who played four years for the Bonnies.
Andrew Nicholson ‘12 spent the day on campus and watched the men’s basketball team defeat George Washington, 72-47.
“This is like home to me,” Nicholson said. “I had a good four years here, being able to be a part of a fantastic program. I’ve been so happy being able to come back.”
Nicholson was an important player for the Bonnies from the moment he stepped into the Reilly Center. He was the Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year in 2009, and in 2010, he received A10 second-team honors.
Nicholson led St. Bonaventure to its first A10 Championship in program history while taking home A10 MVP honors in 2012. For the first time since 2000, the Bonnies appeared in the NCAA Tournament, but lost in the first round to No.3 seeded Florida State.
“Being able to make history with those guys, we all clicked at the right time and pulled together. The program needed something like that,” Nicholson said.
Nicholson’s jersey, #44, was retired by St. Bonaventure a few years later.
In the summer of 2013, Nicholson was drafted No. 19 overall by the Orlando Magic.
Nicholson’s best NBA season was his rookie year. He appeared in 75 games for the Magic and averaged 7.8 points per-game. He stayed with the Magic for the first four years of his career before signing a four-year, $26M contract with the Washington Wizards.
After signing with Washington, Nicholson only appeared in 38 games over the course of two seasons with the Wizards and the Brooklyn Nets before being waived.
In the 2017 season, Nicholson moved to China. He currently plays for the Guangzhou Long-Lions in the CBA. In 25 games this season, Nicholson has averaged 26 points per-game and 10.4 rebounds per-game.
“My five years in the league were amazing,” Nicholson said. “I had a great time. I definitely got what I wanted out of them. Then being able to have an opportunity to play over in China, just to see a different part of the world, a different style of basketball, and just continuing to expand my game. It’s just been a blessing.”
In China, Nicholson tries to follow the Bonnies the best he can. Due to blackout restrictions, he can’t always watch, but he said he is always following the team via Twitter.
For as much success Nicholson has had on the court, his biggest advice for current Bona players doesn’t regard the game of basketball.
“Off the court, I would say definitely get your degree. That’s something I did, that’s something I was really happy I did. Basketball is a wave. It’s going to be up, it’s going to be down, but the only thing that’s constant is your education. That’s going to be there forever. Have your fun, but be smart about it. You rather work hard, then have fun later, than have fun now, and, you know what I mean?”
While the season in China has been suspended because of growing concerns over the coronavirus, Nicholson will continue to work on his game from home in Canada, and will play for the Candian National Team for the time being.
seipptw19@bonaventure.edu
