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Drexel gets commitment from 6-8 wing T.J. Bickerstaff, nephew of Memphis Grizzlies coach

The nephew of Memphis Grizzlies coach J.B. BIckerstaff, last season T.J. Bickerstaff averaged 15.5 points and nine rebounds.

Drexel Head Men's Basketball Coach Zach Spiker claps during senior night festivities before his team played James Madison on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at Drexel. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
Drexel Head Men's Basketball Coach Zach Spiker claps during senior night festivities before his team played James Madison on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at Drexel. YONG KIM / Staff PhotographerRead moreYong Kim

Drexel's basketball program has received an oral commitment from senior T.J. Bickerstaff, a 6-foot-8, 196-pound wing from Sandy Creek High in Tyrone, Georgia. The first day a high school senior can sign a letter of intent is Nov. 14.

Bickerstaff is the nephew of J.B. Bickerstaff, the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. Last season he averaged 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds for a team that advanced to the semifinals of the 4A state playoffs.

"He is extremely skilled, strong, has great playmaking ability in the open floor, especially off the defensive rebound," said Sandy Creek coach Jon-Michael Nickerson in a phone interview. "He is a point forward with the ability to play the wing."

Nickerson said that Bickerstaff was originally leaning toward attending Memphis, before coach Tubby Smith was fired and eventually replaced by Penny Hardaway.

"He is an American Athletic Conference, Atlantic-10 type talent and I think that is a great pickup for Drexel," Nickerson said.

Drexel, under third-year coach Zach Spiker, is coming off a 13-20 season, an improvement of four wins from the previous year.