Wichita State’s Ricky Council to test 2022 NBA Draft waters, keep college eligibility
It was only two years ago when Ricky Council IV was frustrated his scholarship offer list only included the likes of schools like Hofstra, Siena and Appalachian State.
Now the Durham, North Carolina native is preparing to showcase his talent in front of NBA teams.
In a testament to how far the 6-foot-6 wing has come in his two seasons with the Wichita State men’s basketball team, Council announced on his social media accounts on Monday night that he plans to test the 2022 NBA Draft waters.
“I would like to thank Shocker Nation for being the best fans I could ask for, my teammates who pushed me to get better everyday, my coaches who believed in me when no one else did and most important the man above and my family who guided me along the way,” Council wrote in an Instagram post.
Council, who is slated to be a sophomore for the 2022-23 season, will maintain his college eligibility, although left where that eligibility may be used open-ended. If Council requests an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee, he will be allowed to hire a certified agent under the NCAA’s new rules. The agent is allowed to pay for meals, transportation and lodging for Council and his family to meet with NBA teams.
As long as Council withdraws his name by June 1 at 11:59 p.m., he will be eligible to return to college for his third season. He would then likely make the decision whether to return to WSU or pursue a new opportunity elsewhere. The Shockers, which currently have five scholarships open for their 2022 recruiting class, will keep Council’s spot available through the summer for him to return.
After a promising debut season with the Shockers, Council continued to flourish with an expanded role in the 2021-22 season and was named the American Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 43.7% from the field and 84.9% from the free throw line.
Council is not currently projected to be an NBA draft pick, but the decision comes with no risk and all upside for the 20-year-old. WSU players like Shaquille Morris (2017), Markis McDuffie (2017 and 2018), Dexter Dennis (2020) and Tyson Etienne (2021) have tested the NBA Draft waters before returning to college.
While it's true @Rickythe4th cemented his status as a closer for Wichita State, the more encouraging development (in my opinion) continues to be his playmaking.
Everyone knew that he could get buckets, but he's *really* leveling up as a playmaker to become total package. pic.twitter.com/y4o4zG4NPk— Taylor Eldridge (@tayloreldridge) December 5, 2021
Since Council was not seen by many scouts during his high school years, the chance to potentially work out for teams and send tape to NBA scouts is an invaluable opportunity for him to leave an impression with a team and put his name on the radar for scouts to watch in future years.
Those within the Wichita State program have been projecting Council as an NBA talent since he arrived as a unheralded freshman from Southern Durham. WSU was the first major program to offer him a scholarship, as assistant Tyson Waterman identified him as a potential star who had slipped through the cracks. Council quickly turned heads in his first summer with explosive athleticism that allows him to play above the rim and a quirky-yet-effective jump shot.
He still has work to do improving his jump shot, as his three-point percentage dipped to 30.6% on higher volume this season, but it’s encouraging that he made 84.9% from the foul line and 87.1% of free throws during conference play on 70 attempts. While that was a trade-off, Council saw his finishing inside the arc drastically improve, as his two-point shooting percentage jumped from 44.6% last season to 51.5% this season, as he improved his finishing at the rim and his mid-range jumper.
Council also made strides as a playmaker in his second season with the Shockers, although scouts would probably like him to average more than 1.2 assists per game. And his decision-making and ball-handling are two things that are still a work-in-progress, but that is to be expected from a young player.
When locked in, Council has the ability to put the clamps on opposing scorers with his length, athleticism, instincts and quick hands. Like most young players, Council sometimes struggles to maintain that intensity on the defensive end routinely. But he has potential on the defensive end and with the promising signs he showed of becoming the go-to scorer for the Shockers in crunch time, he is sure to catch scout’s attention. Time will tell where that might lead.
