NBA Draft Scouting Report: Arkansas’ Ricky Council IV
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Ricky Council IV
Guard | Arkansas
Height: 6’6” | Weight: 205 lbs
2023 Draft Age: 21.89
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
A new member of a loaded Arkansas team, Council IV was a junior that transferred from Wichita State. He was coming off a spectacular season in which he earned American Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year honors before moving to the SEC.
As a sophomore on the Shockers, he averaged 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest off the bench. He only knocked down 30.6% of his triples, which was down from 44.4% as a freshman. Joining the Razorbacks, he was set to be going up against much better competition. It didn't matter, as he rose to the occasion and emerged as one of the most dynamic scorers in the conference. At this point, it all comes down to how teams view his 3-point shooting and overall offensive efficiency.
Council has a high release point on his jumper and the mechanics look solid outside of the stability on his release. This is likely why he's consistent from deep, knocking down just 27% of his triples as a junior. He's still able to score in other ways which helps combat that, which does help. The 6-foot-6 guard is a crafty finisher in the paint, but plays mostly below the rim. With that in mind, he does have the bounce to finish dunks with power.
Council lacks an elite first step which limits him some, but he still finds ways to generate shots off the dribble. He’s a good positional rebounder and is overall impactful even outside of scoring. It was promising to see him improve as a passer and facilitator offensively, as his assist numbers were pretty low for a guard entering his junior season.
He is able to hold his own defensively and is versatile given he’s a bigger guard. This season at Arkansas, Council was able to play quite a bit of wing as he hopes to showcase 3-and-D upside.
Regardless of the limitations, Council should be a second-round steal for an NBA team next summer if he isn't taken in round one. Even playing alongside alongside two potential lottery picks in Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black, he was the most impactful scorer on the roster.
If Council does take the NBA leap after this season, he will be 22 by the start of his rookie season. He wasn’t the biggest recruit coming out of high school, but Council has continuously gotten better and has proven to be a future NBA talent.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Late First or Second-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.
2023 Big Board
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