As a freshman, Nickens came off the bench on Maryland's first NCAA tournament team under coach
Mark Turgeon. He scored 14 points in the first round match against
Valparaiso. He averaged 6.1 points per game as a freshman, shooting 39% from behind the arc. He received fewer minutes during his junior season due to the arrival of
Kevin Huerter and a poor shooting start to the season. Nickens scored in double figures once, with 12 points in a victory against
Michigan. As a senior, Nickens had an increased role due to the season-ending injury to
Justin Jackson. During a five-game stretch during the middle of his senior season, Nickens endured a shooting slump in which he went 6 of 27 and 2 of 19 on three-pointers. In the next five games, he improved his shooting to 17 of 33 and 13 of 26 on three-pointers. ==Professional career==