Varnado Returns, Nichols D-League Player Of The Month

NEW YORK, March 1, 2013 – The Miami Heat today assigned rookie center-forward Jarvis Varnado to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s NBA Development League affiliate.  The assignment is the record 137^th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, and is the first for Varnado.  He becomes the record 54^th NBA player to have been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.  

Varnado (6-9, 230, Mississippi State) returns to the Skyforce having earned a GATORADE Call-Up from the team to the Heat in January.  He has appeared in five games for Miami this season, recording two points, two blocks and one assist in 19 minutes.  Prior to his stint with Miami, Varnado played in five games with the Boston Celtics, where he scored six points and grabbed three rebounds in 18 minutes. 

Appearing in 10 games for Sioux Falls prior to his Call-Ups to Boston and Miami, Varnado averaged 14.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.9 blocks and 30.5 minutes. 

Varnado is expected to join the Skyforce today and be available tomorrow when the team travels to face the Tulsa 66ers at 8 p.m. ET. 

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Sioux Falls Skyforce forward Demetris Nichols has been named NBA Development League Player of the Month for games played in February.  The honor is the first of Nichols’ career.

Nichols (6-8, 215, Syracuse) led Sioux Falls (21-14) to a 7-3 record in February, averaging 22.7 points on 53 percent shooting from the floor, to go with 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 35.4 minutes.  He scored in double figures in eight of the team’s 10 games, including an NBA D-League-wide season-high 42 points in a 117-112 win over the Iowa Energy on Feb. 19.  He recorded one double-double during the month, scoring 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 115-107 road loss to the Erie BayHawks on Feb.  8.   

A 2013 NBA D-League All-Star, Nichols scored 15 points in 21 minutes for the Prospects Team on Feb. 16 in Houston at 2013 NBA All-Star weekend. 

Nichols has appeared in 35 games for Sioux Falls this season, averaging 18.5 points, good for 10^th best in the NBA D-League, along with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 35.0 minutes. 

Other top NBA D-League prospects considered for the honor were Austin’s Cory Joseph, on assignment from the San Antonio Spurs; Bakersfield’s Jerel McNeal; Canton’s Jorge Gutierrez; Erie’s Henry Sims; Fort Wayne’s Tony Mitchell; Idaho’s Justin Holiday; Los Angeles’ Courtney Fortson; Maine’s Shelvin Mack; Reno’s Samardo Samuels; Rio Grande Valley’s Glen Rice, Jr.; Springfield’s Willie Reed; Texas’ Justin Dentmon; and Tulsa’s Rasual Butler.