Phoenix College 6-foot-5 sophomore wing Avonte Nelms had a solid two-year career at Phoenix College under head coach Matt Gordon, and now he has found a new college home - signing this week with Regis University in Colorado.
Regis is a strong division-II basketball program. Former Regis University assistant coach Steve Ledesma is a native of Arizona and currently works closely with Gordon on a local basketball league - making the transition for Nelms almost seemless.
Nelms had numerous division-II offers for himself, before deciding on Regis University.
A 2015 graduate of Arcadia High School, Nelms is a very hard-working and skilled prospect that is also an excellent teammate for any team and plays with a great attitude at all times. A great addition to any team, on and off the court.
This past season for Phoenix College, Nelms averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per/game, while shooting 43% from the field. He played major minutes for the Bears' team this season - helping the team to a successful 25-7 overall record this season and a 17-5 ACCAC Conference record - tied for 1st place overall in the conference.
Nelms moved to the state of Arizona via the state of Colorado in 2013, and immediately became one of the top overall performers in his class in high school.
Congratulations to Nelms and his father Austin on this amazing accomplishment and good luck in the future from our staff here at Arizona Preps.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: This young man has worked very hard on his game and body over the last several years, improving the consistency on his jump shot and also his range, while also becoming quicker off the dribble. He is a good finisher inside the paint and also can create for himself off the dribble - making him difficult to defend for opposing defenders when he makes up his mind to be assertive offensively. Nelms has the size and strength to post-up smaller defenders, and the skillset to shoot over smaller defenders on the wing. As he embraces this fact, he will really develop at the collegiate level into a nice asset. Nelms has also become a two-way player, taking pride on the defensive end in stopping his opponent. Nelms should see his future at the small forward position in college. A good rebounder. A solid ball handler and passer. Fundamentally sound. A good overall prospect for any smaller school looking to add stability to their lineup.