College basketball players aren’t normally adored by hometown fans when they’re 13 years old.
But Rick Rickert is an exception. For the last six years he’s been in the spotlight of Minnesota basketball.
As an eighth-grader at East High School in Duluth, Minnesota, Rickert joined the varsity basketball team.
Minnesota’s reigning Mr. Basketball, Rickert has blossomed into a starting freshman for the Golden Gophers.
“He has made bigger advancements than I thought he would his first year,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “He’s playing a little tougher than I thought, even than he played early (this year).
“He really went through a couple games where he played awfully well, it was like a shot of adrenaline. He’s more aggressive right now.”
Rickert is third in Big Ten scoring, averaging 16.9 points per game.
The Spartans opened their conference schedule with a 70-67 loss at Minnesota on Jan 5.
In the game, the 6-foot-10, 202-pound forward posted 15 points, four rebounds and three blocks.
Rickert looked at MSU as a “great program,” and wanted to show he was ready for the Big Ten.
“I knew I could start playing right away and make an impact,” Rickert said. “I was surprised at the timing, because as a freshman you never know when you’re going to get in.”
Unlike MSU’s freshmen contributors, Rickert is surrounded by upperclassmen.
“We have great veterans on this team,” he said. “It helps take off pressure.”
But Rickert considered leaving his home state to play college basketball. Besides the Gophers, MSU and Arizona topped his list.
“It was hard to leave Minnesota because it’s a great place to live,” Rickert said. “Even though Michigan State would have been a great place, too, I considered it an awful lot.”
Minneapolis native Alan Anderson knows the dilemma well. Anderson is averaging 24.6 minutes a game for MSU as both a guard and forward.
“Me and Alan grew up in the backyard of Minnesota basketball,” Rickert said. “But I can totally understand, I think he made a great decision even though he left the state and we could have used him.
“Ultimately, it was his decision to make.”
Rickert and Anderson never played against each other in high school, but were teammates in Amateur Athletic Union, AAU, basketball their senior years.
“If you don’t know him he’s really quiet,” Anderson said. “But once you get to know him he’s outgoing.”
Anderson said Rickert has close ties to his family and surrounding community in the Minneapolis area. He said he’s not surprised Rickert chose to stay in Minnesota.
“I know people are upset with me because I didn’t stay,” Anderson said. “He played for the home school. The fans love him. He stayed home.”
