Arkansas guard Ricky Council looks down over Auburn defenders while his feet touch the backboard on a dunk. — Andrew Nelles – USA TODAY Sports

Council's NBA Draft Declaration Most Warranted

Of all the pro prospects on Razorbacks, gritty guard had least needed improvement to overall game

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Apr 4, 2023 1:54 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – On a team filled with players who weren't shy about their future NBA dreams, the Razorback who turned out to have the least improvement needed to be truly NBA ready was the one who entered the season as one of the less-heralded NBA prospects.

This morning Arkansas guard Ricky Council declared for the NBA draft, and of every player on this team, he was the only one who didn't have something that required major development to make him more NBA ready if he were to come back.

Nick Smith needed another year to adjust to the big stage, improve dramatically on defense and learn to work well within a team. Anthony Black needs to continue to develop his outside shooting.

Davonte Davis needs another year to simply believe he is who he actually is as a player.

Jordan Walsh needs one more season to show growth as an offensive threat and prove he can be consistent on defense without fouling, which he began to show at the end of the season.

Trevon Brazile simply needs a chance to show he can execute the skills he showed early on during the difficult part of the schedule since injury kept him from demonstrating it in SEC and NCAA Tournament play.

The latter three could very well be three of the Top 7 picks in the draft next season if they all come back.

However, the one player who couldn't have improved his draft stock was Council. He maxed out his growth under Musselman, and what a huge jump in production it was.

His points per game increased over 25% from 12.0 points per game to 16.1 points per game while playing against tougher competition. His turnovers per game stayed the same at 2.1 despite playing an extra eight minutes per game against better defenses.

His field goal percentage remained the same also despite taking nearly 200 more shots this season than last season at Wichita State, which almost never happens when a shooter has to take twice as many shots.

Council grew as a defender throughout the season and shed the sixth man mindset to become a true leader on the floor. Any executive watching the NCAA Tournament could tell he was ready.

Davis put the team on his back against Kansas, but when he went to bench and there was still work to do, it was Council who decided to take the game over. There was a rugged demeanor and a will similar to Davis that it was going to get done one way or another.

He posted 21 on the Jayhawks and threw up a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds the previous game to make the upset over Kansas possible.

Even against national champion UConn, which shut everyone down in the tournament, Council scored 17 despite coming out early as the game got out of hand.

Council has several traits that will be desirable. At 6'6" and 205 pounds, he already possesses an NBA frame.

He also has a complete game, which means he can hit threes when needed, drive fearlessly among the trees without being easily knocked off course, make tough passes, hit mid-range jumpers and play a style of dogging defense that has become a trademark of Razorback NBA players.

However, his biggest trait is that he knows how to be productive as a sixth man while having the mentality and desire of a star. He can float in and out of the starting line-up as needed to provide, tough, gritty performances without dramatic ups and downs.

He pairs perfectly with almost any roster and will be a highly valued support player who has the potential to develop into a No. 2 or No. 3 on a team with time.

Chances are he bounces around for a while. One day Arkansas fans will look up and he will have been in the league for eight years before finally sticking somewhere on a more permanent basis. Council has shown he has the mentality to handle that.

Arkansas fans only got Council for one season, but there's no doubt it was his best. Now it's time for him to join what is becoming one of the longest lists of NBA active players in program history.

On a side note, the annual NBA dunk competition just got much more difficult with Council's declaration today.