What Wichita State’s Ricky Council worked on this summer that led to career-best game
When reviewing his first season of college basketball this summer, Ricky Council IV couldn’t stand how many points he was leaving at the foul line.
Council made 65.3% of his free throws last season, a number he was committed to improving this offseason.
“Every time I’m working out, I shoot free throws when I’m tired,” Council said. “It’s paying off.”
Council’s extra work at improving his shot at the foul line paid off in a big way in the Wichita State men’s basketball team’s 84-79 win over UCF on Wednesday, as the freshman from Durham, North Carolina scored a career-high 31 points with 16 of them coming on free throws.
Council’s 16-of-20 performance from the foul line tied an American Athletic Conference game record for most made in a contest and tied for third all-time in program history. Capitalizing at the line not only allowed Council a career-best scoring game, but also career-best efficiency: he scored 31 points on just 10 field-goal attempts with a 160 offensive rating.
Through 17 games of his second season at WSU, Council is shooting more free throws (3.8 per game) and making more (81.2%). The secret? A change in his free throw routine.
Instead of holding the ball for a second, taking one dribble and holding it again before going up, Council is now more deliberate in his approach: a two-handed power dribble, another quick dribble with his right hand, then up with the shot in about two seconds.
“My mindset is the more you hold the ball in your hands, the more you think about it,” Council said. “And if you have one little negative thought, it can mess up your routine. So my thought is to just get it off as fast as I can.”
After drawing 11 fouls against UCF on Wednesday, Council now leads the AAC during conference play with 6.8 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, according to KenPom.com. Council is also cashing in at a higher rate of 85.7% on free throws (30 of 35) in WSU’s five AAC games so far entering Saturday’s 11 a.m. game at Tulane broadcast on ESPNU.
He’s quickly becoming a problem for AAC defenses to keep off the line.
“He’s an aggressive player and he attacked all the time, so he put himself in a position to be fouled because of how hard he plays,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “It’s a compliment to him. He’s worked really hard on his game and I can see the improvements in his game from last year.”
If Council can continue drawing fouls and be a steady 80% foul shooter, it will only make him a more dangerous offensive weapon for the Shockers.
While he is still developing as a consistent defender, Council has ultra-quick hands and good instincts that lead to a ton of deflections and fast breaks. He showed against UCF how effective he can be in transition with his 6-foot-6 frame and athleticism, which is usually good for a highlight-reel dunk.
When he uses those same attributes to crash the glass, Council can grab almost any rebound within his range. It was encouraging to see Council begin to pursue offensive rebounds, even earning two free throws after crashing the glass from the perimeter and being fouled on a put-back attempt.
And when Council is cooking like he was on Wednesday, he is a 1-on-1 nightmare for defenses. Whether it was a step-back three over a defender late in the shot clock or shredding pick-and-roll coverage with explosive dribbling moves and a smooth up-and-under finish, Council showed why he arguably has the most potential on the team to create his own shot.
Like any second-year player, he’s still working on his decision-making — on shot selection and passing. His turnovers have come down in conference play, which is encouraging to WSU coach Isaac Brown, and Council showed against UCF that he can be a creative passer too.
“When I’m talking to Ricky, it’s all about defending, taking care of the basketball and making sure he can execute,” Brown said. “We know he can score it. Those other three things, he did a good job of. When you do those other three things, it makes life easier.”
Wichita State at Tulane men’s basketball
Records: WSU 10-7, 1-4 AAC; Tulane 8-9, 5-3 AAC
When: 11:01 a.m. Central time Saturday
Where: Fogelman Arena, New Orleans
TV: ESPNU (Drew Carter & Mark Adams)
Radio: KEYN, 103.7 FM (Mike Kennedy & Bob Hull)
Series: WSU leads 6-1 (2-0 in New Orleans)
Last meeting: Tulane won 68-67 at Koch Arena on January 12, 2022
This story was originally published January 27, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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