Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Getting to know MT newcomer Nick King
8/4/2017 2:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Third time's the charm for Davis, King
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The third try was a charm for Middle Tennessee head men's basketball coach Kermit Davis in the recruitment of forward Nick King.
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward first showed up on Davis' radar when he was a star for Memphis East High School. He averaged 24.4 points, 15.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 62 percent from the field as a senior in 2015, and ESPN ranked him as the No. 37 overall recruit in the country and second-best player in Tennessee.
Though Middle Tennessee was high on his list, King chose to stay at home and play his college ball at the University of Memphis. To think Davis completely lost out on his talents when he chose to be a Tiger would be the wrong assumption, though. After two years at Memphis, King decided to transfer, and again Davis came calling.
While what Davis was selling seemed more enticing to King the second time around, he again chose to continue playing somewhere else: the University of Alabama.
After redshirting his first season due to NCAA transfer rules, King came out ready to make his mark on the Crimson Tide as a redshirt junior last season. He started the year off strong, playing in the first seven games and making two starts, but a mysterious illness kept him out of a few games early in December.
King dropped about 15 pounds in the span of seven days, and it was finally discovered he had a lung infection and would not play the rest of the season. He then decided to transfer, and again Davis was one of the first to contact him.
This time, it finally worked.
"I guess third time's a charm," King said. "The first thing that [assistant coach Win] Case and Coach Davis told me when they called me was that God has a plan and God doesn't make mistakes. We clicked on that right there and then, and that's something that I'll always stick by."
As soon as he arrived in Murfreesboro as a graduate transfer, King realized he made the right choice because of the type of coach Davis is.
"Coach Davis is a very tough, detailed coach, and I feel like I need that," he said. "I need a tough coach who's going to push me to my limit each and every day to make me better."
He also found an opportunity to step in and be a leader for this year's team.
With the loss of graduates Reggie Upshaw, JaCorey Williams, Aldonis Foote and Xavier Habersham, the Blue Raiders have plenty of spaces for older, more mature guys to step in and lead by example. That's exactly what King aims to do.
"I'm 21 now, and I've already transferred from two schools and gone through trials and tribulations," he said. "I think I'm a lot stronger mentally because of it, and I think I'll be able to encourage my teammates better when times get tough.
"I just want to come in and be very vocal and show my effort. I can bring experience and can show some of the young guys the ropes."
On the court, he hopes to bring versatility to the team, whether that means as a starter or off the bench. At 6-foot-7, King handles the ball efficiently and can knock down a 3-point shot while still having the toughness to battle for rebounds.
"I feel like I bring a lot of versatility to this team," he said. "I have a will to win and passion to drive, and I want to get back to the NCAA Tournament and a Sweet 16. I want to win and be the best that we can be here."
It may have taken a while to get there, but Murfreesboro sure feels like the home King has been searching for.
"MTSU has grown since I played here in state in high school," he said. "The city has grown a lot, and you can tell everyone wants to be here. I like the love everyone shows and how it's family-oriented.
"I already knew in my heart that I wanted to go to Middle Tennessee. It's a great program, and I want to do everything in my power to make it even better."
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward first showed up on Davis' radar when he was a star for Memphis East High School. He averaged 24.4 points, 15.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 62 percent from the field as a senior in 2015, and ESPN ranked him as the No. 37 overall recruit in the country and second-best player in Tennessee.
Though Middle Tennessee was high on his list, King chose to stay at home and play his college ball at the University of Memphis. To think Davis completely lost out on his talents when he chose to be a Tiger would be the wrong assumption, though. After two years at Memphis, King decided to transfer, and again Davis came calling.
While what Davis was selling seemed more enticing to King the second time around, he again chose to continue playing somewhere else: the University of Alabama.
After redshirting his first season due to NCAA transfer rules, King came out ready to make his mark on the Crimson Tide as a redshirt junior last season. He started the year off strong, playing in the first seven games and making two starts, but a mysterious illness kept him out of a few games early in December.
King dropped about 15 pounds in the span of seven days, and it was finally discovered he had a lung infection and would not play the rest of the season. He then decided to transfer, and again Davis was one of the first to contact him.
This time, it finally worked.
"I guess third time's a charm," King said. "The first thing that [assistant coach Win] Case and Coach Davis told me when they called me was that God has a plan and God doesn't make mistakes. We clicked on that right there and then, and that's something that I'll always stick by."
As soon as he arrived in Murfreesboro as a graduate transfer, King realized he made the right choice because of the type of coach Davis is.
"Coach Davis is a very tough, detailed coach, and I feel like I need that," he said. "I need a tough coach who's going to push me to my limit each and every day to make me better."
He also found an opportunity to step in and be a leader for this year's team.
With the loss of graduates Reggie Upshaw, JaCorey Williams, Aldonis Foote and Xavier Habersham, the Blue Raiders have plenty of spaces for older, more mature guys to step in and lead by example. That's exactly what King aims to do.
"I'm 21 now, and I've already transferred from two schools and gone through trials and tribulations," he said. "I think I'm a lot stronger mentally because of it, and I think I'll be able to encourage my teammates better when times get tough.
"I just want to come in and be very vocal and show my effort. I can bring experience and can show some of the young guys the ropes."
On the court, he hopes to bring versatility to the team, whether that means as a starter or off the bench. At 6-foot-7, King handles the ball efficiently and can knock down a 3-point shot while still having the toughness to battle for rebounds.
"I feel like I bring a lot of versatility to this team," he said. "I have a will to win and passion to drive, and I want to get back to the NCAA Tournament and a Sweet 16. I want to win and be the best that we can be here."
It may have taken a while to get there, but Murfreesboro sure feels like the home King has been searching for.
"MTSU has grown since I played here in state in high school," he said. "The city has grown a lot, and you can tell everyone wants to be here. I like the love everyone shows and how it's family-oriented.
"I already knew in my heart that I wanted to go to Middle Tennessee. It's a great program, and I want to do everything in my power to make it even better."
Players Mentioned
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