In his freshman season at Indiana State, Nicks only averaged 2.2 points in 24 games. Bob King, the head coach, recommended that Nicks leave the Sycamores and go to a junior college to refine his skills and work on his game. He spent the 1977–78 season at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida, where he averaged 22.4 points a game, returning the next season to Indiana State. When he returned he was a more mature and more confident player. It was the 1978–79 season that he started improving and that's where he earned his nickname; Mr. Intensity. That year he averaged 19.3 points but it was the 1980 season that he really came out and started scoring, averaging 26.7 points a game. Nicks started with Larry Bird in 1978–79 and helped lead Indiana State to the championship game in the NCAA tournament by averaging 19.3 ppg, 5 apg, 3.5 rpg and 1.8 spg on 46% shooting. Nicks was twice named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team, in both 1979 and 1980. He was also named to the USA Select Team in 1979 for a tour of the People's Republic of China.
Professional career
After being selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 23rd overall pick in the 1980 NBA draft, Nicks played in three seasons with three different teams: the Nuggets, the Utah Jazz, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nicks for the Nuggets before being traded to the Utah Jazz on December 22, 1980 for Billy McKinney. He backed up Rickey Green with Utah. He was subsequently released by the Jazz early in the 1982 season and was signed as a free agent by the Cavaliers. In 156 career NBA games, Nicks averaged 16 minutes, 6.8 points, 1.9 rebouncs and 1.6 assists. He spent played for the Toronto Tornados of the Continental Basketball Association during the 1983–84 season and then spent five seasons in the French professional league following his NBA career, playing for Saint-Étienne in 1984–85 and for ASPO Tours from 1987 to 1989.
Personal
After retiring as a player, Nicks coached alongside Bill Hodges, his former head coach at Indiana State, at Mercer University. He then settled in Indianapolis, beginning a career at Methodist Hospital. In 2005, Nicks was hired as a college scout by the Indiana Pacers and in 2014, he was promoted to manager – player relations with the Indiana Pacers.
