Nick Timberlake is getting ready to play in his first NCAA Tournament with Kansas men’s basketball, a goal he’s had since he was a kid.
But it took a long time for the former Towson University guard to get to where he is today. Timberlake had to fight through adversity for most of his life.
He was born with a cleft lip and palate, which led to several surgeries before his first birthday and another one when he was 12 years old, where they took bone marrow from his hip and put it in his mouth.
He only had four Division I offers coming out of Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire. But the journey led him to Towson, where he started his freshman year before suffering a season-ending injury.
Now, he’s gearing up for his first March Madness run in his sixth and final season of college eligibility.
“Nicolas has been a born fighter from the start,” said his mom, Dineen Timberlake.
When he announced his intentions to enter the NCAA transfer portal on March 8, 2023, Nick Timberlake had no idea who would call. He ended up receiving attention from 70 coaches. Thad Matta from Butler, Rick Pitino from St. Johns, Hubert Davis from North Carolina and others visited Timberlake’s home in Braintree, Massachusetts.
But when two-time national championship coach Bill Self of Kansas called, it was different.
“When Kansas came calling, it was like, ‘All right, they’ve made the tournament however many years it’s been in a row [34]. I’m definitely going to be able to play,’” Timberlake said. “And then when I committed here, it was like, ‘We’re going to play in the tournament, but you also have a legit chance of winning the whole thing.’ It’s insane.”
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Timberlake is averaging 4.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 14.5 minutes per game this season, on pace for the lowest numbers of his career.
He’s faced a challenging task adjusting to a reserve role on a talented Kansas team led by former four-star guard Kevin McCullar Jr. and coveted Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson compared with the starring role he enjoyed at Towson last season, when he averaged a team-leading 17.7 points in 35.7 minutes per game.
But he said he grew and learned a lot at Towson, which won 20 or more games in each of his final two seasons but never advanced past the CAA Tournament semifinals. Most notably, he learned patience, which has equipped him with the tools to stay confident despite playing fewer minutes.
“I started off my freshman year starting and then broke my foot,” Timberlake said. “So I had to come off the bench my sophomore year, the whole season. Just kind of going back to that and realizing, ‘OK, coming off the bench? Try not to mess up … and your minutes will grow.’”
Timberlake has started six games for the Jayhawks while coming off the bench in the other 26. It’s a significant change from the previous three seasons at Towson, in which he started all 85 games.
He hasn’t been doing it alone, however. Former Towson teammate Cam Holden, who now plays overseas for the Cheshire Phoenix, has also seen his role reduced from when he averaged 14.2 points and 7.7 rebounds in three seasons with the Tigers.
Holden and Timberlake often talk about how they’re growing into new roles on their teams. Holden predicts that Timberlake will have a big game during the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m going to keep saying this until the season’s over — he’s going to have a big game in March. And I want you to mark my words,” said Holden, who played with Timberlake for two years at Towson.
Timberlake’s dad also thinks his son can be a big player for the Jayhawks in March, if given the chance.
“He can do it,” said Jeff Timberlake, who played basketball at Boston College. “It’s just a matter of, you know, if he gets some minutes, we’ll see what he does.”
Jeff and Nick agreed that the guard’s most significant improvement has been on the defensive end. His contributions there could be crucial for Kansas, which ranks toward the middle of the Big 12 in points allowed per game (68.7).
“I actually have to play defense this year, or try to play defense,” Nick Timberlake said. “Kind of got away with that at Towson a lot.”
Kansas, battered by injuries throughout the season, bowed out of the Big 12 Tournament early. In the second round March 13, the No. 6 ranked Jayhawks fell to No. 11 Cincinnati, 72-52.
Despite the early exit, Timberlake has his sights set on advancing further in the big dance.
“March Madness is what I’m most excited about. I never got to do that at Towson,” he said. “So, to finally be able to do it after five years of playing college basketball, it’s going to be very exciting. And pretty much the main reason why I entered the portal.”
No. 4 seed Kansas will take on No. 13 seed Samford (29-5), the Southern Conference champion, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night in Salt Lake City, Utah.
NCAA Tournament first round
No. 4 seed Kansas vs. No. 13 seed Samford
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Thursday, 9:55 p.m.
TV: TBS