Tremendous athletic ability, remarkable skill and hard work: These qualities define Minnesota freshman forward Rick Rickert.
\He's in so many facets of the game,"" Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan said.
But for many experts and fans alike, Rickert's importance transcends his talent. He is seen as the savior of Golden Gopher basketball, a team three years removed from a cheating scandal that ultimately led to the loss of scholarships and prestige the program had previously enjoyed.
""I think Rickert signing here puts a lot of that behind us,"" Minnesota Head Coach Dan Monson said. ""Because some other high-profile kids are now saying, 'It's not so bad, I'm going to go there, too.' And that's speeded up the time clock of our recovery.""
With four games to go in their Big Ten regular season, the Golden Gophers (7-5 Big Ten, 14-9 overall) stand on the verge of their first NCAA tournament berth since the 1998-1999 season, just before the academic wrongdoing was uncovered.
A reason of Minnesota's current success is Rickert's arrival in Minneapolis. Averaging a team-high 14.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, he is almost a lock to win the conference's Freshman of the Year award. Although he has enjoyed great success early in his college career, his basketball skill and dedication indicate he is yet to reach his potential.
Rickert, a 6'11"" product of Duluth East High School in Duluth, Minn., so thoroughly dominated at the prep level that he was considered to be among the top 15 high school seniors in the country. His athleticism and skill level were so impressive that schools such as Duke, Michigan State, Arizona and Florida seriously pursued him. In the end, he decided on Minnesota.
""He's going to be a great player,"" Monson said. ""You don't see players with his skill level at 6'11"".""
Offensively, his athleticism makes him a threat in transition, and he can also shoot from the perimeter.
""He has deeper range than I thought,"" Gophers Associate Head Coach Mike Petersen said. ""He can step back at 21, 22 feet'he has really deep range.""
The key to Rickert's early success is his willingness to improve his game. After struggling with foul trouble during the nonconference schedule, he has learned to control his body and to be more patient with the basketball. In fact, Rickert has scored in double figures in every game since the last week of January.
""I'm feeling a little more comfortable,"" he said. ""It's just from constantly working. My medium-range jumper is better, my three's better, everything is better.""
Even though he's got everything going for him, he knows that not everything will come easy for him in the future.
