University of Minnesota Athletics
The Golden Touch; Freshman forward Rick Rickert
12/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Whether its leading his JV team to an undefeated season as an eighth grader or his varsity team to the state championship game as a senior, you can say he has the special touch. Now, Golden Gopher fans hope that touch works once again and that Rick can help vault Minnesota back into college basketball's elite. This will be the biggest task he has faced in his young and promising career, but from many people's perspective he has the "golden touch" and is just what this program needs to turn the corner.
Over the years the mileage on the Rickerts' vehicles has started to pile up. Trips into the cities from Duluth for traveling games, AAU tournaments or high school games all have been well worth the price of the gas consumed. The reason being is that Lew and Susan Rickert have been able to watch first-hand their son develop and mature into the player he is today and are given the priceless opportunity to see their son's hard work pay off each time they make the two and a half hour trip to Williams Arena this winter.
Rick's first introduction to the game of basketball came in second grade as a member of the Salvation Army team. He, along with his sister Natalie, who is two years his junior, would practice once a week and play their games every Saturday on the same team. Back then, just as he has been his whole life, Rick was at least a few heads taller than everyone else he played with or against and that helped him springboard his desire and skill level in the game of basketball. "Rick took an immediate interest in the game of basketball when he started playing," Rick's father, Lew, said. "The older he got the better he got at it, and the better he got at it the more interest he showed in it. That kind of complimented each other and really helped him in his development as a player."
Being on the same team as his sister helped the two develop a friendly sibling rivalry that stuck with the two as they grew up. "Rick would be out there for hours working on his shot. His sister would come out completely cold; not having taken any shots and start making as many as him. She has a natural shot and did not have to work at it like he did. He was always astounded by that," Lew recalled.
Rick remembers those days as well. "I would be out there working hard for hours on my shot and she would come out and give me a run in H-O-R-S-E even without having shot at all. I always was amazed at how she could do that."
Rick's mother fondly remembers those early years of her son playing basketball and the way he looked being so tall. "At the time, I never thought that he looked funny or awkward on the court. But watching the home movies you can see how much arms and legs the kid was. To go along with that he had this wild hair and this little blond streak in the back that stuck straight up all the time. It was the cutest thing watching him run up the court," Susan recalled smiling.
As Rick continued to grow and become a better basketball player, he and his father would start playing games of one-on-one against each other. While his dad held the upper hand for awhile, it was only a matter of time and growth before Rick would have his dad's number. "Eighth grade was when Rick started to finally pull ahead of me," Lew recalled.
"Before that, I could cheat and use my superior weight to muscle the ball in. He was really skinny when he was younger and I was able to knock him around a little bit. When he started to get stronger and learned how to use his height to his advantage he was able to beat me."
Rick fondly recalls the time where he finally beat his dad, an accomplishment he was very proud of. "My dad is too fat and slow now to beat me," Rick chuckled. "No, my dad is a really good basketball player who has taught me a lot about the game. He had a lot of moves and knew how to use them so I was able to learn from him. Finally beating him meant the world to me. When you can beat your dad, then you know you are pretty good."
Being taller than everyone can be a huge advantage for a player. That is, if they know how to take advantage of it. For many big men, it takes awhile to learn how to use there given advantage, but once they do, it opens up a whole new part of their game that had yet to be tapped. It wasn't until the seventh or eighth grade that Rickert was starting to use his height to his advantage, which coincided with his feat of beating his dad in one-on-one.
Lew can remember observing his son's development over the years. "Rick was too nice when he started playing. He didn't think it was nice to block people's shots. He tried more to fit in with his classmates rather then block every kid's shot, which he was capable of doing. Once he realized that if he took advantage of his height, good things could happen. He figured out he could be nice off the floor and on the floor block their shots and score on them," he said.
It was obvious to both parents at a young age that Rick had the ability to go far with his basketball talents. However, they each came to this realization at different times. Rick's mother, Susan, saw it when he was in sixth grade, his father when he was in eighth grade. "I remember when he was little he always used to talk about how he was going to play in the NBA," Susan stated. "I kept telling him that he needed to have something to fall back on and not put too much hope in making the NBA. Then I was talking to a friend and saying how Rick said he would play in the NBA someday. She told me that if it's his dream, you can't take that away from a kid. So then I realized that yes, he can be in the NBA, and he will. He is going to make it."
Lew's reasoning for seeing his potential had to do with his massive height at a young age. "When he was on the JV team as an eighth grader, he was playing with and against mostly sophomores and juniors. He not only played well at that level, he excelled. It was then I saw that he was going to have some height. He was 6'8" as an eighth grader and anytime you have that much height you always have the chance to be good if you work hard at it. Rick definitely worked hard."
The Rickert car continued to log the miles as Rick's basketball career got going. In sixth grade he started to play up a year to give him more of a challenge. What that did for him was accelerate the development process. It made him even better at a very young age. "I think when I started playing up a grade it was one of the most important parts of my basketball career. It allowed me to play better competition and really sped up my skill development on both ends of the court," Rick said.
That acceleration enabled Rick to be given the opportunity to try out for the JV team as an eighth grader. Wondering if he was even good enough to make the team, Rick's worries quickly vanished as he not only made the team, but started. He helped lead the team to an undefeated season for the first time in school history. The following year as a freshman, he made the varsity squad and solidified himself as a starter for the rest of his high school career. As he improved each year, his scoring average increased, his team improved and the interest in him nationally skyrocketed. By the time he closed the book on his high school career, he had led his team to a runner-up finish at the state tournament.
Family has played a key role in getting Rickert to where he is now. The guiding hands of two great parents and growing up with two sisters has helped instill in him the life skills needed to succeed both on and off the floor. They all have been supportive throughout his career and whether its games of one-on-one or H-O-R-S-E or just attending his games, they have made an enormous difference. "It just feels so good," Susan said. "He is just loving it here and that is great for me to hear from him. It has been fun watching him develop over the years and watch him play and it means so much for a parent to see their child realizing their dreams."
"Raising your kid and seeing them develop into something is a great feeling for a parent. I am just so happy with the way that he has turned out. I am happy to say that I am as proud of him for not only what he has done on the court, but also the way he carries himself off the court," Lew added.
A list can be made of all the qualities that make Rick Rickert. Whether it be his ability to knock down a three-pointer, get the crowd going after a good play, or even the blond streak on the back of his head, they are all a part of who he is.
One quality that stands out is the time he gives to others. He has never brushed aside someone wanting an autograph or a few seconds of his time. That goes back to the way he was raised by his parents to be a respectable young man. One scene that is a good representation of the type of guy Rickert is took place following the Minnesota-Duluth exhibition game. Unhappy with the way he shot the ball, Rickert took some shots after the game. A little girl came to the court, wanting a chance to shoot at the basket with him. Instead of telling her to get off the floor or growing frustrated with the many times that she grabbed the ball and dribbled it, Rick let her shoot, even though she came no where near the basket. That is just one of many examples that showcase the type of guy he is. "I think it is hard to be mean to a person. It is a lot easier to be nice to them. That's the way I was raised. I was once in these kids' shoes wanting autographs of my favorite players so I know exactly how they feel."
Only time will tell if Rick Rickert will be able to have the impact on this program that everyone hopes he will. But the safe money says his presence will be golden, just like that little streak in the back of his head that used to stick straight up when he was a little boy.
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant, Danny Olsen
Some players have it, almost everyone wants it. It is an uncanny ability to make your team a winner. Sure there are many players who are good, but there are only a select few that make their teams better and have the power to help turn their teams into winners. Rick Rickert has been doing that his whole life.
Whether its leading his JV team to an undefeated season as an eighth grader or his varsity team to the state championship game as a senior, you can say he has the special touch. Now, Golden Gopher fans hope that touch works once again and that Rick can help vault Minnesota back into college basketball's elite. This will be the biggest task he has faced in his young and promising career, but from many people's perspective he has the "golden touch" and is just what this program needs to turn the corner.
Over the years the mileage on the Rickerts' vehicles has started to pile up. Trips into the cities from Duluth for traveling games, AAU tournaments or high school games all have been well worth the price of the gas consumed. The reason being is that Lew and Susan Rickert have been able to watch first-hand their son develop and mature into the player he is today and are given the priceless opportunity to see their son's hard work pay off each time they make the two and a half hour trip to Williams Arena this winter.
Rick's first introduction to the game of basketball came in second grade as a member of the Salvation Army team. He, along with his sister Natalie, who is two years his junior, would practice once a week and play their games every Saturday on the same team. Back then, just as he has been his whole life, Rick was at least a few heads taller than everyone else he played with or against and that helped him springboard his desire and skill level in the game of basketball. "Rick took an immediate interest in the game of basketball when he started playing," Rick's father, Lew, said. "The older he got the better he got at it, and the better he got at it the more interest he showed in it. That kind of complimented each other and really helped him in his development as a player."
Being on the same team as his sister helped the two develop a friendly sibling rivalry that stuck with the two as they grew up. "Rick would be out there for hours working on his shot. His sister would come out completely cold; not having taken any shots and start making as many as him. She has a natural shot and did not have to work at it like he did. He was always astounded by that," Lew recalled.
Rick remembers those days as well. "I would be out there working hard for hours on my shot and she would come out and give me a run in H-O-R-S-E even without having shot at all. I always was amazed at how she could do that."
Rick's mother fondly remembers those early years of her son playing basketball and the way he looked being so tall. "At the time, I never thought that he looked funny or awkward on the court. But watching the home movies you can see how much arms and legs the kid was. To go along with that he had this wild hair and this little blond streak in the back that stuck straight up all the time. It was the cutest thing watching him run up the court," Susan recalled smiling.
As Rick continued to grow and become a better basketball player, he and his father would start playing games of one-on-one against each other. While his dad held the upper hand for awhile, it was only a matter of time and growth before Rick would have his dad's number. "Eighth grade was when Rick started to finally pull ahead of me," Lew recalled.
"Before that, I could cheat and use my superior weight to muscle the ball in. He was really skinny when he was younger and I was able to knock him around a little bit. When he started to get stronger and learned how to use his height to his advantage he was able to beat me."
Rick fondly recalls the time where he finally beat his dad, an accomplishment he was very proud of. "My dad is too fat and slow now to beat me," Rick chuckled. "No, my dad is a really good basketball player who has taught me a lot about the game. He had a lot of moves and knew how to use them so I was able to learn from him. Finally beating him meant the world to me. When you can beat your dad, then you know you are pretty good."
Being taller than everyone can be a huge advantage for a player. That is, if they know how to take advantage of it. For many big men, it takes awhile to learn how to use there given advantage, but once they do, it opens up a whole new part of their game that had yet to be tapped. It wasn't until the seventh or eighth grade that Rickert was starting to use his height to his advantage, which coincided with his feat of beating his dad in one-on-one.
Lew can remember observing his son's development over the years. "Rick was too nice when he started playing. He didn't think it was nice to block people's shots. He tried more to fit in with his classmates rather then block every kid's shot, which he was capable of doing. Once he realized that if he took advantage of his height, good things could happen. He figured out he could be nice off the floor and on the floor block their shots and score on them," he said.
It was obvious to both parents at a young age that Rick had the ability to go far with his basketball talents. However, they each came to this realization at different times. Rick's mother, Susan, saw it when he was in sixth grade, his father when he was in eighth grade. "I remember when he was little he always used to talk about how he was going to play in the NBA," Susan stated. "I kept telling him that he needed to have something to fall back on and not put too much hope in making the NBA. Then I was talking to a friend and saying how Rick said he would play in the NBA someday. She told me that if it's his dream, you can't take that away from a kid. So then I realized that yes, he can be in the NBA, and he will. He is going to make it."
Lew's reasoning for seeing his potential had to do with his massive height at a young age. "When he was on the JV team as an eighth grader, he was playing with and against mostly sophomores and juniors. He not only played well at that level, he excelled. It was then I saw that he was going to have some height. He was 6'8" as an eighth grader and anytime you have that much height you always have the chance to be good if you work hard at it. Rick definitely worked hard."
The Rickert car continued to log the miles as Rick's basketball career got going. In sixth grade he started to play up a year to give him more of a challenge. What that did for him was accelerate the development process. It made him even better at a very young age. "I think when I started playing up a grade it was one of the most important parts of my basketball career. It allowed me to play better competition and really sped up my skill development on both ends of the court," Rick said.
That acceleration enabled Rick to be given the opportunity to try out for the JV team as an eighth grader. Wondering if he was even good enough to make the team, Rick's worries quickly vanished as he not only made the team, but started. He helped lead the team to an undefeated season for the first time in school history. The following year as a freshman, he made the varsity squad and solidified himself as a starter for the rest of his high school career. As he improved each year, his scoring average increased, his team improved and the interest in him nationally skyrocketed. By the time he closed the book on his high school career, he had led his team to a runner-up finish at the state tournament.
Family has played a key role in getting Rickert to where he is now. The guiding hands of two great parents and growing up with two sisters has helped instill in him the life skills needed to succeed both on and off the floor. They all have been supportive throughout his career and whether its games of one-on-one or H-O-R-S-E or just attending his games, they have made an enormous difference. "It just feels so good," Susan said. "He is just loving it here and that is great for me to hear from him. It has been fun watching him develop over the years and watch him play and it means so much for a parent to see their child realizing their dreams."
"Raising your kid and seeing them develop into something is a great feeling for a parent. I am just so happy with the way that he has turned out. I am happy to say that I am as proud of him for not only what he has done on the court, but also the way he carries himself off the court," Lew added.
A list can be made of all the qualities that make Rick Rickert. Whether it be his ability to knock down a three-pointer, get the crowd going after a good play, or even the blond streak on the back of his head, they are all a part of who he is.
One quality that stands out is the time he gives to others. He has never brushed aside someone wanting an autograph or a few seconds of his time. That goes back to the way he was raised by his parents to be a respectable young man. One scene that is a good representation of the type of guy Rickert is took place following the Minnesota-Duluth exhibition game. Unhappy with the way he shot the ball, Rickert took some shots after the game. A little girl came to the court, wanting a chance to shoot at the basket with him. Instead of telling her to get off the floor or growing frustrated with the many times that she grabbed the ball and dribbled it, Rick let her shoot, even though she came no where near the basket. That is just one of many examples that showcase the type of guy he is. "I think it is hard to be mean to a person. It is a lot easier to be nice to them. That's the way I was raised. I was once in these kids' shoes wanting autographs of my favorite players so I know exactly how they feel."
Only time will tell if Rick Rickert will be able to have the impact on this program that everyone hopes he will. But the safe money says his presence will be golden, just like that little streak in the back of his head that used to stick straight up when he was a little boy.
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant, Danny Olsen
