NICK
WARD

POSITION: Forward

HEIGHT: 6’8” (203 cm)

WEIGHT: 245 lbs (111 kg)

BIRTHDATE: Sept. 2, 1997 (Gahanna, Ohio)

HIGH SCHOOL: Lincoln (OH)

UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE: Michigan St. (2016-19)

TWITTER/INSTAGRAM: @nickward44

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed as a free agent by Ottawa on March 3, 2021.

YEARS PRO: 2


PROFESSIONAL CAREER 

Career averages of 14.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.6 blocks and 22.3 minutes in 43 games playing professionally in the NBA G-league, Turkey and Istanbul.


2020-21:

Averaged 21.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 32.5 minutes in four games for Istanbul of the Turkey-TBL …  Recorded two double-doubles, including season-highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds Nov. 1 vs. Bornova and 24 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with three steals Nov. 25 vs. Kagitspor …



2019-20:

Averaged 21.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 21.2 minutes in playing 39 games in two different leagues, including 34 games for College Park S. in the NBA G-League and five games for Fethiye in the Turkey-TBL … As a member of College Park S., Ward recorded 11 double-doubles … Scored more than 20 points seven times … Grabbed double-digits rebounds 12 times … Scored a season-high 27 points, shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the field, to go along with eight rebounds Feb. 9 vs. Lakeland M. … Grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds Jan. 15 vs. Grand Rapids D., to go along with 22 points, one block and one assist … Recorded 25 points, 10 rebounds, a season-high three assists, one block and one steal Jan. 8 vs. Erie BH … Recorded a double-double with 26 points, shooting 10-for-13 from the floor, to go along with 11 rebounds Nov. 11 vs. Wisconsin H … As a member of Fethiye, Ward recorded two double-doubles … Scored a season-high 37 points, shooting 14-for-18 from the field and nine-for-14 from the charity stripe, to go along with eight rebounds, one steal and one block Oct. 26 vs. Konyaspor.


UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE CAREER

Averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 19.6 minutes in 104 games for the Michigan State Spartans … Ranks 26th all-time on the Spartans’ scoring list with 1,359 points … Ward’s .605 (506-837) career field goal percentage ranks fifth all time in Michigan State history and his 143 total blocks sit third in the school’s career record books … Ranks second behind only Earvin “Magic” Johnson for scoring (485) by a first-year player at Michigan State … Opted out of his senior year to become eligible in the NBA Draft …


2018-19:

Averaged 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 20.1 minutes in 34 games … Team record of 32-7... Named to the preseason All-Big Ten team … Helped lead the Spartans to the NCAA Final Four after claiming the Big Ten Championship over Michigan … Recorded four double-doubles … Scored more than 20 points nine times … Scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds (six offensive, four defensive) and dished a career-high four assists Nov. 11 vs. FGCU … Scored 23 points, shooting 10-for-12 from the field, to go along with six rebounds and two blocks Nov. 18 vs. Rutgers … Scored 26 points, shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the field and six for 11 from the charity stripe, to go along with nine rebounds and two blocks Dec. 3 vs. Iowa … Scored a season-high 28 points Dec. 16 vs. Green Bay, shooting 12-13 from the field, to go along with nine rebounds and a season-high four blocks in 26 minutes … Scored 21 points, shooting 11-for-14 from the charity stripe, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots Jan. 5 vs. Ohio St. … Grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds Jan. 13 vs. Penn St. to go along with 16 points, two blocks and one steal …


2017-18:

Averaged 12.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 18.9 minutes per game with Michigan St … A Big Ten honorable mention selection by the coaches, Third Team honouree by the media ... Recipient of MSU’s Jumping Johnny Green Chairman of the Boards Award ... Appeared in all 35 games, starting 34 ... Led the team with eight double-doubles ... Had 20 games with double figure scoring ... Collected at least 10 rebounds in 10 games ... Third on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounding ... Ranked 28th in the Big Ten Conference in scoring and tied for seventh in rebounding ... Led the Big Ten in field goal percentage, connecting on 64.8 percent of his shots from the field (162-of-250) ... Tied for seventh in the Big Ten with 1.3 blocked shots per game ... Tied for third in the league in offensive rebounds, grabbing 2.7 per game ... Tallied first double-double of the season Nov. 19 vs. Stony Brook, collecting a team-leading 22 points and 11 boards ... Tied a season-high 22 points in Big Ten opener Dec. 3 vs. Nebraska ... Attempted and drained his first career 3-point field goal Dec. 9 vs. Southern Utah ... Registered nine field goals (nine-for-nine) Dec. 18 vs. Houston Baptist, tying a career-high while also tying a season-high four blocks in that same game ... Tallied seven offensive rebounds Dec. 29 vs. Cleveland State, collecting a double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds while going 7-for-8 from the floor and eight-for-12 from the line ... Recorded his fourth double-double of the season Dec. 31 vs. Savannah State with a team-high 21 points adding 10 rebounds ... Earned Big Ten Player of the Week Honors Jan. 2 after averaging 21.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in 20.5 minutes while connecting on 94.1 percent of his shots (16-for-17) in wins over Cleveland State and Savannah State ... Collected his seventh double-double of the season, with 12 points and 11 rebounds while also adding a season-high five blocks Jan. 26 vs. Wisconsin ... Scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds in come-from-behind win Feb. 17 vs. Northwestern.

2016-17:
Appeared in 35 games, including starting 21, averaging 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds in 19.8 minutes ... All-Big Ten Honorable Mention ... Earned Big Ten Player of the Week honours on Feb. 27, becoming the only conference freshman during the season to win the honor and first Spartan freshman to earn POW honors since Delvon Roe in 2009 ... Four-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week (12/5,12/26, 1/2 and 2/27) ... Co-recipient of MSU's Most Improved Player Award ... Ranked 16th in the Big Ten in scoring (13.9 ppg), 12th in rebounding (6.5 rpg), third in field goal percentage (.592) and tied for fifth in blocked shots (1.5 bpg) ... Ranked second in the nation in both fouls drawn per 40 minutes (8.8) and offensive rebounding percentage (17.5%) according to KenPom.com ... Scored in double figures in 25 of the last 29 games, and in 26 games overall ... Had six games of 20+ points and had at least nine rebounds in each of those games; MSU was 5-1 when he scored 20 or more points ... Posted four double-doubles on the season, including three with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds ... Grabbed double-figure rebounds in five contests, and totaled nine rebounds or more in 13 contests ... His 54 blocked shots led the team and were the second most by a freshman in MSU history, trailing only Deyonta Davis 64 in 2015-16 ... Established an MSU freshman record with 181 field goals ... His 485 points were the second most in a season by a freshman in MSU history, trailing Magic Johnson's 511, while his 13.9 scoring average ranked fourth best among freshman in school history ... Also ranks among the all-time Spartan freshman leaders in free throws (2nd, 123), free throws attempted (2nd, 200), rebounds (4th, 227) and rebound average (5th, 6.5 rpg) ... Started his first career game Dec. 21 vs. Oakland, scoring a season-high 25 points on seven-for-12 shooting from the field ... Totaled 24 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes Dec. 3 vs. Oral Roberts ... Recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds in his Big Ten debut Dec. 27 vs. Minnesota ... Scored 20 points Feb. 23 vs. Nebraska and joined Miles Bridges as the first freshman duo at Michigan State to score 20+ points in the same game since Earvin "Magic Johnson" and Jay Vincent in 1978 ... Posted a double-double March 4 vs. Maryland by pulling down a season-high 16 rebounds, while his 22 points matched the most he scored in a Big Ten game ... Led all scorers with 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting from the floor to go along with seven rebounds in his first NCAA Tournament game March 17 vs. Miami.

PERSONAL

  • Son of Jeff and Stephanie Ward
  • Communication major
  • Joined Big X, a team comprised primarily of former Big Ten players in The Basketball Tournament 2020 where he led Big X with 18 points in a 79-74 win over alternate D2 in the first round
  • Played four games with Atlanta H. in the 2019 Las Vegas NBA Summer League where he averaged 4.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 13.8 minutes
  • Averaged 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds as a senior in high school, playing for Coach Tony Staib at Gahanna Lincoln High School
  • Shot 64 percent from the field
  • 2016 Associated Press Division I All-Ohio honouree
  • Led Gahanna Lincoln to a 25-3 record and an appearance in the regional finals
  • Ohio Division I-II North-South All-Star Game MVP, totaling 31 points and eight rebounds
  • 2016 Ohio-Kentucky All-Star
  • Columbus Dispatch All-Metro team honouree
  • 2016 Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division Co-Player of the Year
  • Three-time OCC-Ohio champion
  • Averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks as a prep junior
  • 2015 Third-Team Associated Press All-Ohio honouree, while also earning first-team all-league and first-team Associated Press Central Division I All-District accolades
  • Named to the All-Junior Team and All-State Division I Third Team by PrepHoopsOhio.com
  • Played AAU basketball with All-Ohio Red
  • Rated among the Top 50 players in his class by ESPN 100 (#39), Rivals.com (#41), Scout.com (#48), and 24/7 Sports (#49), resulting in a 24/7 Sports Composite ranking of #41

CAREER PROFESSIONAL STATISTICS (as of March 23, 2021)

Totals

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2020-21 Istanbul 4 130 85 26-53 3-11 24-47 13 20 33 6 11 3 7 19
2019-20 Fethiye (Turkey) 5 137 98 34-52 0-1 30-43 15 20 35 1 17 3 2 10
2019-20 College Park S.(NBA G League) 34 693 451 159-263 0-3 78-124 94 133 227 20 76 20 16 53
2019-20 All leagues 39 830 549 193-315 0-4 108-167 109 153 262 21 93 23 18 63
Totals 43 960 634 219-368 3-15 132-214 122 173 295 27 104 26 25 82

Averages

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2020-21 Istanbul 4 32.5 21.3 0.491 0.273 0.511 3.3 5 8.3 1.5 2.8 0.8 1.8 4.8
2019-20 Fethiye (Turkey) 5 27.4 19.6 0.654 0 0.698 3 4 7 0.2 3.4 0.6 0.4 2
2019-20 College Park S.(NBA G League) 34 20.4 13.3 0.605 0 0.629 2.8 3.9 6.7 0.6 2.2 0.6 0.5 1.6
2019-20 All leagues 39 21.2 14.1 0.613 0 0.647 2.8 3.9 6.7 0.5 2.4 0.6 0.5 1.6
Totals 43 22.3 14.7 0.595 0.2 0.617 2.8 4 6.9 0.6 2.4 0.6 0.6 1.9

COLLEGIATE STATISTICS

Totals

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2018-19 Michigan St. 34 683 439 161-279 2-2 111-170 59 147 206 23 84 42 11 69
2017-18 Michigan St. 35 662 435 161-249 1-1 110-177 94 154 248 18 82 47 11 58
2016-17 Michigan St. 35 694 485 181-306 0-0 123-200 97 130 227 14 98 54 12 58
Totals 104 2039 1359 503-834 3-3 344-547 250 431 681 55 264 143 34 185

Averages

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2018-19 Michigan St. 34 20.1 12.9 0.577 1 0.653 1.7 4.3 6.1 0.7 2.5 1.2 0.3 2
2017-18 Michigan St. 35 18.9 12.4 0.647 1 0.621 2.7 4.4 7.1 0.5 2.3 1.3 0.3 1.7
2016-17 Michigan St. 35 19.8 13.9 0.592 0 0.615 2.8 3.7 6.5 0.4 2.8 1.5 0.3 1.7
Totals 104 19.6 13.1 0.603 1 0.629 2.4 4.1 6.5 0.5 2.5 1.4 0.3 1.8
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