How Wichita State men’s basketball came out of nowhere to land 2021 recruit Jalen Ricks
There have been high-major college basketball programs like Arkansas, Oklahoma State and TCU recruiting Jalen Ricks for years now.
But in less than two weeks, Wichita State men’s basketball coach Isaac Brown was able to crash the party and sway one of the top unsigned high school seniors in the class of 2021 to be the final commitment of the Shockers’ 2021 recruiting class.
Ricks announced Thursday afternoon that he has committed to Wichita State in a stunning twist. The Shockers were never publicly linked to the 6-foot-7 wing prospect who played for nationally-ranked Oak Hill Academy and were not included in his top-eight list of schools he posted in April.
So how did the Shockers come out of nowhere in his recruitment? In an exclusive interview with The Eagle, Ricks said it had everything to do with Brown.
“I’ve been doing this recruiting thing since the ninth grade, so I kind of have a feel for who’s genuine and who’s not,” Ricks said. “As soon as I talked to Coach Brown, I knew what was up. I could tell he’s just a very genuine person. I believe he sees in me what I see in myself.”
After WSU identified Ricks as a potential target, Brown reached out for the first time in late May. By his second Zoom call with WSU, which happened on Tuesday night, the Sherwood, Arkansas native was offered a scholarship and committed to WSU on the spot.
It’s an impressive snag for Brown and the Shockers, which swooped in late in the recruiting process and beat out high-major competition. Brown has publicly stated he wanted an incoming freshman guard who he can develop long term. Ricks certainly fits the ball, as he is rated No. 167 nationally in his class by the 247Sports composite rankings and a three-star recruit by Rivals.
“I really like that Coach Brown has developed players,” Ricks said. “That’s a big thing for me. And I know Wichita has a winning culture. When I’ve told a few people that I’m going to Wichita, their first response is, ‘Oh, they’re always in the (NCAA) Tournament.’ So I want to help keep that going and keep the winning culture there going.
“I believe if the head coach isn’t showing interest, then you never know how things will go at that school if you go. So it was big for me that Coach Brown was the first person to reach out to me and the person who continued talking to me.”
Ricks is used to playing for a winning team coming from the prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Playing a national schedule alongside a handful of other Division I prospects, Ricks averaged 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 42% from the field, 39% on three three-pointers per game and 84% on free throws. He scored his season-high 25 points on Jan. 30 against Montverde Academy, the eventual national champions.
At the Division I level playing in the American Athletic Conference, Ricks believes he is the ideal 3-and-D player. His athleticism is on par with the best in the conference, but he’ll have to prove capable of consistently knocking down three-pointers. After watching film of Brown’s offense at WSU last season, Ricks is confident his three-point accuracy can actually improve with the Shockers.
“I feel like I’m going to be an even better shooter because I’m going to be playing with guys who know where the shooters are and know how to get you open,” Ricks said. “I’ve seen some sets in coach Brown’s scheme where shooters come off double screens. We weren’t doing too much of that at Oak Hill, so that’s why I think I’m going to be an even better shooter at the D1 level.”
Maybe the most compelling part of Ricks’ potential has nothing to do with scoring.
Not only is he athletic and in a 6-foot-7 frame, but Ricks also has a 6-foot-11 wingspan that gives him the potential to become a true disruptive force on defense and a valuable piece to the Shockers as a flexible defender capable of defending guards all the way up to stretch forwards.
The best part is that Ricks comes to WSU in a low-pressure situation. He can take his time and develop on his own schedule, all the while working with and learning from a pair of superb two-way wing players already at WSU in junior Dexter Dennis and freshman Ricky Council IV.
“I think I’m a 3-and-D player and I buy into that role,” Ricks said. “I want to do anything I can on defense to impact the game.”
Another way Ricks can impact the game without scoring is with his rebounding. Despite playing on the wing at Oak Hill, Ricks led the team in boards.
Ricks said he developed a knack for rebounding because he was always the tallest or one of the tallest players on his teams growing up. That meant a lot of coaches forced him to play the post, even if he always felt more comfortable along the perimeter. Ricks said that experience battling in the low blocks when he was younger has proved valuable and he’s kept that desire to rebound with him as he’s transitioned to a Division I wing player.
“I think that’s when I kind of established my rebounding presence and I’ve just kept it as an asset ever since,” Ricks said. “I’ve got a pretty long wingspan, so I try to use that to my advantage and fill up the stat sheet in a lot of different ways. Whether that’s with rebounds or blocks or steals, that’s a big part of my game.”
Ricks, who said he graduated from Oak Hill with a 4.0 grade-point average, plans to pursue a business degree at WSU with an entrepreneurship major. He plans to arrive on campus for voluntary summer workouts next Tuesday on June 8.
It marks the conclusion of an impressive first recruiting class by Brown, who has injected WSU’s roster with more size and athleticism, as well as a mix of veteran, win-now pieces and high-upside freshman to be excited about in the future.
Although WSU has one remaining scholarship to hand out, Brown confirmed to The Eagle that Ricks is very likely going to be the final piece to WSU’s 2021 recruiting class. Ricks joins a class that also includes:
- Kenny Pohto, 6-11 freshman center from Sunrise Christian Academy
- Joe Pleasant, 6-8 junior forward transfer from Abilene Christian
- Qua Grant, 6-1 junior guard transfer from West Texas A&M
- Matthew McFarlane, 6-10 sophomore center transfer from Colby Community College
Depending on the decision of star sophomore guard Tyson Etienne, who is currently exploring the possibilities in the NBA Draft, the Wichita State roster for the 2021-22 season could be set for scholarship players.
Wichita State men’s basketball 2021-22 roster
Tyson Etienne, 6-2 sophomore guard (if he withdraws from NBA Draft)
Craig Porter, 6-2 junior guard
Qua Grant, 6-1 junior guard
Chaunce Jenkins, 6-4 freshman guard
Dexter Dennis, 6-5 junior wing
Ricky Council IV, 6-6 freshman wing
Jalen Ricks, 6-7 freshman wing
Monzy Jackson, 6-7 sophomore forward
Joe Pleasant, 6-8 junior forward
Morris Udeze, 6-8 junior center
Matt McFarlane, 6-10 sophomore center
Kenny Pohto, 6-11 freshman center-forward
This story was originally published June 3, 2021 at 11:59 AM.
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