‘Get bigger and stronger’: How Wichita State’s Jalen Ricks is attacking injury rehab
Jalen Ricks has never had a major injury disrupt his basketball career before, so not being able to play the game he loves has been the most difficult part of his first year with the Wichita State men’s basketball team.
Ricks, a 6-foot-7 true freshman sharpshooter, was redshirting his first year with the team, but was still eager to fulfill his duties on the scout team during practices. He wasn’t playing in games, but he was still playing.
That all changed in early December when Ricks landed wrong after a jumper in practice and discovered he had torn the meniscus in his left knee, effectively ending his ability to practice with the team for the rest of the season once he underwent surgery on Dec. 17.
That has changed Ricks’ focus this season to effectively rehabilitating his knee, a process he says is going well ahead of WSU’s game scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday against SMU, which remains in doubt because of poor weather in the Dallas area preventing SMU from traveling as of Friday morning.
“I’ve never really had an injury like this before, but I’ve been through a lot of adversity before, so this ain’t nothing new,” Ricks said. “I just try to stay focused on my rehab and look forward to next year.”
Ricks recently had the brace removed on his left knee, a small victory in his books, and he says he is on track to start playing basketball again sometime around April.
He’s working constantly with team trainer Todd Fagan on exercises to strengthen his knee, while also working on his upper-body strength with strength and conditioning coach Kerry Rosenboom. He now has new goals for himself that don’t involve basketball that keep him motivated, but he still misses playing with his teammates.
“It’s pretty tough watching them and not being able to help them out and feel like I’m contributing,” Ricks said. “I really liked practices where I could push the starting group and stretch the floor with my shooting and do what I do. Watching my team go out there and knowing I can’t help them, it’s pretty tough.”
A late signee from the prestigious Oak Hill Academy, it didn’t take long for Ricks to carve out a reputation as a sharpshooter this summer with the Shockers. That kind of shooting ability in a 6-7 frame makes for an intriguing prospect on the wing next season for the Shockers.
“He’s been in practice very positive, watching and cheering on his teammates,” WSU coach Isaac Brown said. “He’s had a positive attitude and his goal is to get bigger and stronger. He can really shoot the basketball and he’s got great size and length. He’s a big guard and he’s only 18, so he’s only going to get better.”
Without being able to work on his game, Ricks has found other ways to try to improve. On top of watching film, he says he likes watching how Dexter Dennis defends and how Tyson Etienne works off the ball to try to get open, hoping to use the nuggets of information he gains this season to help his play next season.
“I watch a lot of film now, studying the game a lot,” Ricks said. “And then I’m just trying to stay ready with my rehab, that’s the main thing now, just attacking my rehab, whether it’s eating right or icing my knee when I’m supposed to do. I want to come back even better.”
This story was originally published February 4, 2022 at 11:24 AM.
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