Ricky Council

Ricky Council came out of high school as a three-star recruit and spent two years at Wichita State before transferring to Arkansas for the 2022-23 campaign. The 6-foot-6 guard earned AAC All-Freshman team honors in 2020-21, posting 18.2 points per 40 minutes across 21 appearances. The following year, he was named AAC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 12.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals while finishing third in the conference in free-throw shooting percentage (84.9). In his first and only season with the Razorbacks, Council averaged a team-high 16.1 points (third in the SEC) to go along with 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals en route to All-SEC second-team honors. He also led the SEC in made free throws (173) and finished second in attempts (218). Council improved each year he was in college and has developed into a tenacious, downhill offensive player with the size, athleticism and skill set to excel at both ends of the court. His explosiveness creates easy buckets in transition, but he's also crafty around the rim during half-court sets and has a solid mid-range jumper. Teams can't foul him consistently because he's a lethal free-throw shooter. His offensive game should benefit from the fast-paced, isolation style of the NBA, and his 6-foot-10 wingspan allows him to guard multiple positions. Council has the upside to be a microwave scorer off the bench as a rookie but may have to refine his skills in the G League before making a consistent impact. He could see a similar career arc to Lonnie Walker, who's developed into a quality contributor in recent years after a developmental first two NBA seasons.