Austin Nichols transferring to Virginia

Due to NCAA transfer rules, Nichols will be able to practice with the team but not play in games for Virginia during the 2015-16 season.

Nichols led Memphis in scoring last season as a sophomore with an average of 13.3 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds per contest on his way to earning first team All-American Athletic Conference honors. He’ll provide the Cavaliers with another big man who will help to add to their stout defensive reputation.

“There’s no legal basis for Memphis to deny a release at this point”, Don Jackson, the Nichols family’s lawyer, told ESPN earlier this month. Memphis backed off that hard-line stance when the Nichols family threatened a lawsuit, paving the way for him to commit to a Virginia program already on the rise.

Nichols, a 6-foot-9, 228-pound forward, confirmed his plans to transfer to the radio station Sunday afternoon.

Forward Austin Nichols, left, then with Memphis, defends Akil Mitchell during a March 2014 game against Virginia.

Virginia has been one of the stronger basketball programs in the last two seasons.

“It was my second choice coming out of high school, and the comfort level was built in”, Nichols told ESPN 92.9 FM in Memphis of his decision to transfer to Virginia. He’s more than a talented post player that can score with either hand.