Ricky Council IV carries same chip for 76ers’ NBA Summer League he had at Wichita State

These days feel a lot like the days when he first arrived at Wichita State for Ricky Council IV.

After going undrafted in the recent NBA Draft, Council was quickly scooped up by the Philadelphia 76ers and signed to a two-way contract. But the feeling of not hearing his name called on draft night reminded him of the feeling he had during high school when no major college basketball program was interested in recruiting him.

“I came to Wichita State with a chip on my shoulder and it hasn’t stopped,” Council told The Eagle after his first NBA Summer League game with the 76ers in Las Vegas. “Now that I went undrafted, I want to prove to every team that didn’t pick me that I’m better than the 58 guys that were picked. I’ve always felt like I’ve had to prove myself and now it’s onto the next level.”

Before former WSU assistant coach Tyson Waterman identified Council as a target in the spring of 2020, the Durham, N.C. native was mulling offers from James Madison, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Siena, Georgia Southern, Hofstra, Elon and UMBC.

He remains grateful to WSU for giving him the opportunity to show what he could do at the Div. I level. Council was a key contributor off the bench during the Shockers’ improbable run to the 2021 American Athletic Conference championship, then upped his game even more in his second season to win the AAC Sixth Man of the Year.

But after missing postseason play at WSU, Council was motivated to return to March Madness and find a new place where he could play more and at a higher level. He ultimately transferred to Arkansas, where he averaged a career-high 16.1 points and most notably scored 21 points to help the Razorbacks upset No. 1 seed Kansas in the NCAA Tournament to advance to the Sweet 16.

“I had a great time at Wichita State, but I wanted to go somewhere where we didn’t have to fight in the conference tournament just to get in (March Madness),” Council said. “Arkansas was an amazing experience and I’ll never forget our Sweet 16 run. We beat Kansas and I’ve always wanted to play them ever since I was at Wichita State, so that was cool.”

Even though Council transferred away from Wichita State, he still takes pride in his two years with the program and remains close with several former teammates, including current Shockers like Jalen Ricks and Isaac Abidde.

“I still talk to (former WSU teammates) all the time,” Council said. “I’m still close with Chaunce (Jenkins). I talk to Dex (Dennis) and Mo (Udeze) like every week. I still get up with Tyson (Etienne) and Alterique (Gilbert) texts me every now and then. I was literally just talking to Trey (Wade) before this game. We were brothers at Wichita State and I’ll never forget the times we had there.”

As Council begins his professional basketball career, he won’t be far from his Shocker roots. Former Wichita State standout guard Toure’ Murry, who recently retired from his own playing career, has been hired by new 76ers head coach Nick Nurse as an associate player development coach.

Between the 76ers’ first Summer League stop in Salt Lake City and now Vegas, the two former Shockers have already built a strong relationship.

“Ricky has all of the intangibles to play the game at the NBA level,” Murry said. “We already have that bond with him being a former Shocker and I’m looking forward to helping him grow and become a better player.”

Council is off to a promising start this summer in trying to impress the 76ers’ coaching staff. The same athleticism that allowed the 6-foot-6 wing to finish so many difficult and acrobatic shots in the paint at Koch Arena was on full display Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia’s 110-101 win over the New York Knicks at Cox Pavilion.

In his Las Vegas debut, Council scored 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds with an assist and a block in 28 minutes.

Many Shockers fans will remember Council’s somewhat unorthodox jump shot form, which will be the focus for the 76ers to refine during the summer.

“He’s extremely athletic, which has allowed him to always get to where he wants to go,” Sixers Summer League coach Rico Hines said. “He’s such a good kid and has been very coachable. We’re big on helping guys develop into shooters.

“We’re going to start from the ground up with him. We’ve done it before with Pascal Siakam and we’re going a similar route with him, as far as breaking his shot all the way down from the bottom and then building it all the way back up.”