Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Sign Dekyron Nicks to Letter of Intent
5/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
May 3, 2005
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State head men's basketball coach Steve Cleveland has added another player to the team's 2005-06 roster with the signing of guard Dekyron Nicks to a letter of intent.Nicks is the second player to sign with the Bulldogs since Cleveland took over April 9. Last week, guard/forward Quinton Hosley, a former junior college All-American at Lamar (Colo.) Community College, signed a letter of intent to play for Fresno State beginning next year.
"Dekyron possesses all of the abilities that a coach would want any point guard to have," said Cleveland. "He's got a very complete game: He can pass, he can shoot and he can dribble. And he owns great leadership abilities and does what it takes to help the team win. Everywhere Dekyron has been, his teams have won."
A 5-foot 9-inch, 180-pound point guard, Nicks has played the past two years at Temple (Texas) Junior College, finishing third in the nation in assists at 11.2 while helping direct a fast-paced offense that averaged 97.2 points per game. He was a third-team JC All-American as well as the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference's (NTJCAC) Player of the Year.
A native of Bryan, Texas, Nicks was the leader of the NTJCAC in assists and steals (3.7) while finishing seventh in scoring at 14.5. Nicks shot 36 percent from beyond the arc and owned a free throw percentage of .750.
Both Hosley and Nicks shot better than 75 percent from the charity stripe at their respective junior colleges, very important numbers given Fresno State's team free throw percentage last year of .654, the next-to-last number in the WAC.
While Nicks is an addition to next year's squad, Cleveland also announced that another player will be leaving. Freshman Chris Berry, who played in 30 games last year while starting 11, has elected to transfer, Cleveland said.
"I had a very good conversation with Chris, and he really wants to move closer to home and concentrate on his academics," Cleveland said. "He's an outstanding young man, but I think the chance to move a little closer to where he grew up and get a fresh start is going to help him. We wish him nothing but the best of luck in the future."
A forward, Berry averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last year. He scored in double figures in eight games, though just once in the last eight.
Fresno State is now returning two starters and six letterwinners from last year's 16-14 (9-9 WAC) team that finished fourth in the final league standings.
