Garrett Nuckolls continues winning ways, helps Trinity Valley capture first national championship

Published 10:00 pm Saturday, April 5, 2025

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Garrett Nuckolls has a history of winning.

As a fourth-grader, he was on the LaPoynor Little Dribblers team that won a national championship in 2015. He won another Little Dribblers national championship in eighth grade in 2019.

As a freshman, Nuckolls was on the LaPoynor varsity basketball team that advanced to the state tournament and won its semifinal game in 2020 before COVID-19 forced the rest of the tournament to be canceled. LaPoynor shared the Class 1A state championship with Slidell, which it was scheduled to meet in the championship game. Nuckolls and the Flyers advanced to the regional finals in 2021 when he was a sophomore.

As a junior and senior at Bullard High School, there were no state or national championships on the basketball court, but Nuckolls did help the Panthers win an outright district title in 2022 — their first since 2008 — their first trip to the postseason since 2015 and their first playoff victory since 2010. Nuckolls and the Panthers won a district title and reached the playoffs again in 2023.

However, Nuckolls did win a state championship during his time at Bullard. As a junior, Nuckolls was the Class 4A high jump state champion at the UIL State Track and Field Championships.

Nuckolls was also a two-time recipient of the Best Preps Tyler Award for Boys Basketball, the 2022 Tyler Morning Telegraph All-East Texas Boys Basketball Offensive Player of the Year and the 2023 Tyler Morning Telegraph All-Rose Country Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Nuckolls had originally signed with Midwestern State in high school but instead ended up at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens.

The first season at Trinity Valley had its challenges for Nuckolls.

“It’s definitely been a struggle,” Nuckolls said following a January 2024 game at Tyler. “It was weird at first. I have Coach (Guy) Furr, and he’s known me for a long time, and he warned me that there are going to be other players here that can play. I didn’t realize it was going to be as big as it was, but I was still a little prepared.”

After playing limited minutes early and receiving a DNP (did not play) in three conference games in January, Nuckolls finished strong. After not scoring in double digits in the Cardinals’ first 26 games of the seasons, Nuckolls had at least 10 points in five of Trinity Valley’s final nine games, including a season-high 20 points to go along with six rebounds in a win over Angelina in the Region XIV Tournament. Nuckolls had 10 points in a win over Lee in the Region XIV Tournament championship game to help the Cardinals advance to the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Nuckolls scored 5 points in the opening win over Georgia Highlands at the national tournament and then he had 3 points in a loss to Triton that ended the Cardinals’ season.

Nuckolls ended his freshman season appearing in 29 games and averaging 4.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range.

In the offseason, Trinity Valley head coach Marty Levinson left for Nebraska-Kearney. Trinity Valley hired Greg Heiar as his replacement.

Nuckolls’ future with the Cardinals was up in the air. But after meeting with Coach Heiar, Nuckolls was back with the Cardinals for one more season.

“From the beginning, there were some rocky times with Garrett and I,” Heiar said. “Just trying to change some of his habits and some of his work ethic and his attention to detail and his body language. He used to just worry about his shot. When he wasn’t making his shot, he would put his head down. He didn’t realize how good of an overall player he really was. I just tried to pull that out of him every day because there is more to it than just shooting the basketball. You want to be a complete player. And I give him the credit because he bought into it and kept coming back for more, so I’m excited for him.”

Nuckolls went scoreless in the season opener against Weatherford before scoring a career-high 22 points in a win over Grayson despite going 2 of 11 on 3-pointers. Nuckolls then came off the bench against Clarendon and went scoreless once again. He then scored double digits in six straight games.

From Jan. 22 to Feb. 12, Nuckolls had seven straight games where he didn’t reach double figures, but he finished the season with eight double-figure games in the Cardinals’ final 13 contests. But the growth for Nuckolls — as Heiar mentioned — was impacting the game even when his shot wasn’t falling. Nuckolls had games of six and five steals. He had two double-digit rebounding games, including grabbing 12 in a 65-64 road win over Tyler in February. He had five games with at least two blocks. He had 11 games of four assists or more with a career-high seven assists in a win over Bossier Parish. He never had more than three assists in a game as a freshman.

“It was definitely a journey,” Nuckolls said. “There were a lot of ups and downs, probably a lot more ups and downs this year than there were last year, just because I had a more serious role this year. But I give all the credit to GH, because he knew what he was doing. He’s a very smart guy, a very smart coach. He knows how to bring the best out of every single one of us on the team. He brought the best out of me every day. If I didn’t feel like going that day, he brought it out of me anyway. He knew how to get to me. He just wanted to make me better, and he did it every day. And I appreciate him for that.”

Nuckolls, a 6-6 guard, finished his sophomore season averaging a team-high 10.2 points per game to go along with 3.8 rebounds per game, 2.4 assists per game and 1.6 steals per game. The assists and steals were both second on the team. He shot 37.4 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from 3-point range and 73.1 percent from the free-throw line.

Nuckolls saved some of his best work for the postseason, or winning time.

He had 20 points and was 5 of 11 from 3-point range in a 54-46 win over Lee in the Region XIV semifinals in Baytown.

At the national tournament, Nuckolls averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game to earn all-tournament honors.

In the semifinals — a 51-47 victory over Panola — Nuckolls had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

In the national championship game against Connors State, with the score tied at 32 at halftime, Nuckolls scored seven quick points to start the second half. After Connors State cut the score to 41—38, Nuckolls hit two free throws to give him the Cardinals’ first nine points of the second half.

Cameron Williams had a putback for Trinity Valley and then Nuckolls made a couple of jumpers with Nuckolls making two free throws to give Nuckolls 15 of the team’s 19 points to start the second half for a 51-41 lead with 6:32 to play.

“We started seeing they weren’t necessarily helping up on screens, so we exposed it,” Nuckolls said. “The shots were going in. Give the ball to the hot hand. I was hot at the time. It changes throughout the game. We just exposed one of the flaws they had, and that’s what kind of let that run happen.”

“He got to his spot in the middle of the lane and hit that 10-foot pull-up,” Heiar said. “He got to that over and over again. He saved his best for last.

“I’ve seen it all year long. He’s more than just a shooter. He’s been working on it, and it all came out in a national championship game in the second half when it matters most, and I’m super proud of him, because he’s worked so hard to turn himself into a complete basketball player. His defense in the second half and his rebounding in the tournament, along with his IQ and his feel for the game. He’s put in the work this year to make the most of his opportunity when it came.”

Nuckolls finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists in the title game as the Cardinals won their first national title with a 69-61 victory.

“It means the world,” Nuckolls said. “Not a lot of people get to say they’re a national champion. And for me to be one of those people that can say they are, it’s amazing. I don’t even know what to say. I’m at a loss for words.”

Where Nuckolls will be playing next is still undecided. He reported Division I offers from Stephen F. Austin, Texas State and Drexel this week.

Wherever Nuckolls ends up, based on his track record, winning will likely follow.