In the span of just a few years, Abdel Nader went from focal point to afterthought to a critical role player. He’s also earned a college degree and is now playing some of the best basketball of his life.
“It’s not a coincidence I’m playing the best basketball of my career at the same time I don’t have to worry about class as much,” he said with a chuckle last week.
Whether it’s the decreased mental burden of working toward an undergraduate degree or the lessened courseload, it’s undeniable that Nader is peaking right when it matters most as the No.