Rick Rickert

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rick Rickert (born on February 11, 1983 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American-born basketball player. He is a 2001 graduate of Duluth East High School where he was a basketball star and highly recruited college prospect.[1]

Contents

[edit] Career

Rick played collegiately for the University of Minnesota, where after averaging 15 points and 5 rebounds per game in 2001-2002[2] he became the first Gopher player ever to win the Big Ten Freshmen of the Year award.[3] After averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds his sophomore season Rickert declared for the 2003 NBA Draft. Despite his own beliefs that he would be taken in the first round[4], Rickert was not drafted until 26th in the 2nd round, or 55th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. After he failed to make the team, Rickert decided to play professionally in Europe. He has since made several unsuccessful attempts to come back and play for the Timberwolves. He has been playing in the NBA Development League for the Colorado 14ers.

As of mid-2007, he has signed to play with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia's NBL.

[edit] Awards

  • 2002-03 All-Big Ten First Team by coaches
  • 2002-03 All-Big Ten Second Team by media
  • 2001-02 Big Ten Freshman of the year
  • 2001-02 All-Big Ten Second Team by coaches
  • 2001-02 All-Big Ten Second Team by media
  • 2000-01 McDonald’s High School All-American
  • 2000-01 Mr. Basketball in the state of Minnesota

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • A claim to fame for Rickert is his supposed heated rivalry with Kevin Garnett. It was sparked at a pick-up game, in which Garnett punched Rickert in the face, leading to stitches.[5]
  • Local gossip was, at the time of Rickert committing to the University of Minnesota after previous verbal commitments to Duke and Arizona, that Mr. Rickert scored very low on his ACTs and was therefor not accepted into the previous schools he had committed to.

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Recruiting Rankings CNNSI.com
  2. ^ Rickert's college stats sportsstats.com
  3. ^ Freshman of the year hoopshype.com
  4. ^ Poor decisions ESPN.com
  5. ^ Garnett punches player during pickup game Washington Post
v • d • e
2003 NBA Draft
Draft Templates
83 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99 • 00 • 01 • 02 • 03 • 04 • 05 • 06 • 07 • 08