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A huge NIL deal and more: Lawrence Central grad Nijel Pack helps Miami make Final Four

Scott Horner, Indianapolis Star
·3 min read

Nijel Pack is in the Final Four with the Miami Hurricanes. He scored 15 points in Miami's come-from-behind victory March 26 over Texas in the Elite Eight. Miami plays Connecticut on Saturday, and the other game features San Diego State vs. Florida Atlantic.

Here's more about Nijel Pack.

Where is Nijel Pack from?

Pack is from Indianapolis.

Where did Nijel Pack go to high school?

He attended Lawrence Central High School. He scored 1,085 points in four seasons with the Bears and was a 2020 Indiana All-Star. As a senior, he averaged 17.7 points, 4.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game to help the Bears to a 22-3 record. Pack shot 50% from the field, 40% from the 3-point line and 93% from the free-throw line. He helped Lawrence Central to a sectional title as a junior.

Pack took note of his high school coach, Al Gooden, who recently retired after accumulating 500 career wins.

Unlikely Final Four coach:Former IU basketball student manager Dusty May lead FAU

Nijel Pack makes crazy shots

This basket in Miami's game vs. Texas didn't count, but it was amazing.

Check out Pack's behind-the-back no-look 3-pointer in a scrimmage.

Nijel Pack stats in the NCAA Tournament

Nijel Pack is 13-of-29 on 3-pointers (44.8%) in March Madness, and he is averaging 18.5 points. His season averages are 13.8 points and 40.5% on 3s.

Opponent / 3-pointers / Points

Drake / 3-of-7 / 21

Indiana / 2-of-8 / 12

Houston / 7-of-10 / 26

Texas / 1-of-4 / 15

Check out Pack's highlights against Houston, his season-high performance.

Nijel Pack NIL deal with John Ruiz

Nijel Pack transferred from Kansas State after last season, when he was the Big 12 Most Improved Player and a conference first-team performer who averaged 17.4 points per game. Purdue recruited him heavily, but Miami had a name, image and likeness arrangement that was too good to refuse: $800,000 for two years.

John Ruiz, who runs LifeWallet, explained his NIL strategy for Pack and other Hurricanes athletes.

"That's what marketing is about, right?" Ruiz told CBS Sports. "Whether you like the deal, you don't like the deal. You hate me, you hate Nijel. You love Nijel. Whatever the circumstances are you're being talked about."

"How much would it cost LifeWallet to be in all the articles that he's been in?," Ruiz added. "You're probably looking at $25 million."

What Miami coach Jim Larranaga says about Nijel Pack

“The first thing is family,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said ahead of the Hurricanes' game against IU. “His mom and dad have raised him right. He’s a great kid, very fun to be around. He’s a great teammate.

“The first day he arrived on campus, he and Isaiah Wong went into our practice facility and, by the end of their workout, they were best friends.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Nijel Pack NIL deal, high school career, NCAA tournament highlights