NORTH BAY, Ont. — The Nipissing Lakers men’s basketball team has received a big boost when it comes to the team’s offensive potential for the 2020-21 season.
Head Coach Thomas Cory and the Lakers are proud and excited to announce the addition of small forward Nick Gehlen, a transfer who is making his way to Nipissing from the Algoma Thunderbirds, where he was the team’s MVP last season.
Gehlen ranked in the top 20 in the country in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game with the Thunderbirds during the 2019-20.
He shot 43.9 per cent from the field and almost 23 per cent from beyond the arc, as well as over 70 per cent from the free throw line.
The 6-foot-6 native of Woodbury, MN in the United States is excited to join the Lakers and continue this basketball career at Nipissing.
“I’m excited for this new challenge and can’t wait to get on campus to meet my new teammates,” he said. “(I want to) be a leader and be well-rounded teammate and person.”
Enrolled in the BBA program, Gehlen describes himself as a “versatile scorer” and his stats would prove that.
He’s excited to be part of the Lakers program and wants to immediately take on a leadership role with the team, having gained valuable experience at Algoma earlier in his collegiate career.
Gehlen recorded double digits in points in 21 of 22 games last year and had a season-high 28 points in a victory over Windsor in November.
Nipissing is a great fit for Gehlen both on and off the court and he’s looking to succeed both athletically and academically.
“My play style fits what Nipissing University is looking for and I like the culture and what the program can offer me, not just on the court, but also off it,” he said.
Lakers head coach Thomas Cory is excited to add Gehlen to the program and is fully aware of what he can do to help the program and be a successful student-athlete at Nipissing.
“Nick will fit in really nicely with us because he has the ability to play multiple positions and with his scoring ability, he will be a match-up problem for other teams in our league,” Cory explained of his program’s newest recruit. “With Nick we get a player that wants to continue to improve and is willing to put the work in on a daily basis and understands the importance of success in the classroom.”
Gehlen joins a Nipissing recruiting class that includes the likes of Olds College Broncos’ transfer Muktar Mohamed, Dynamiques-de-Sainte-Foy transfer Daric Labadie, and high school recruits in Jacob Buss, Thomas Gowland, and Hazara Jawanda.
– T. Bennett
Information from the Nipissing Lakers contributed to this post.
