Northwest Christian sharpshooter Ryan Ricks stands out on basketball court and in classroom
They did it on the honors system, shooting by themselves at their homes. The one who made the most would be the winner.
It didn’t take long for Ricks, now a senior standout at Northwest Christian, to make an assortment of 4- to 5-foot jumpers and layups on a lowered basket in his driveway. When he reached 100, he went in his house to tell his parents.
“I kept shooting because I was thinking, ‘What if he makes more?’ ” Ricks said.
Shortly later, he reached 500. And on he went until he piled up 1,000.
“What impressed me to begin with was he could count higher than 100,” Ray Ricks, Ryan’s father and NWC’s head coach, said. “Most kids that age can’t count higher than 100. That was the first moment I knew that he loved to shoot.”
The next morning at school, Ryan asked his friend how many shots he made.
“I don’t remember exactly how many, but I know it was 20-something,” Ricks said. “My dad has always told me (that) to be good I needed to put up a lot of shots.”
And he has made thousands of shots since.
He’s been ahead of the game in the classroom and on the court, beginning at an early age. He carries a 3.99 grade-point average and is on the brink of becoming the Crusaders’ career scoring leader.
A 6-foot-2 guard and four-year starter, Ricks has 1,658 points with two games in the regular season remaining. He’s chasing 1,701 put up by another four-year starter, Chase Ramey, who was on some talented teams when NWC won four straight state titles (2006-09).
Two weeks ago, Ricks tied the single-game record of 50 points set by the late Keith Dyk in 1982. In a 92-64 win at Asotin, Ricks made 18 of 26 shots from the field, including 10 of 16 3-point shots. The 10 3-pointers broke a record of nine set last year by David Olds.
Late in the game, Ricks was fouled shooting a 3-pointer. Somebody in the bleachers told Ricks he had 47 points.
“I was feeling good on the first two, but I was a little nervous on the last one,” Ricks said. “I didn’t want to be stuck at 49.”
He’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Asher Cox, a 6-7 post, is averaging 19.8 points.
“He’s not the most athletic guy,” Ray Ricks said of his son, “but he has enough of the package between his brain and athleticism to be a special player here. And he’s our best lock-down defender.”
Ryan admits that he’s probably playing out of position but is doing it out of necessity for the team.
“I’m not quick enough or tight enough with the ball,” he said.
Ricks has signed to play at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, an NAIA Division II school. He wants to major in business. He chose the school because it’s near Seattle and will present opportunities postgraduation.
“I consider myself kind of a nerd, an analytical guy,” Ricks said. “It creeps into basketball a little bit. I think a lot about which shots are more efficient. It’s something not a lot of guys think about.”
The end result is Ricks has had a knack of putting the ball in the basket.
And being a thorn in the side of Northeast 2B coaches.
“Ryan is a great kid and a great competitor,” Colfax coach Reece Jenkin said. “He is the leader of NWC and you know if it is a close game the ball will be in his hands to make a play. I have watched him make clutch plays over the years. When we played (NWC) we were able to cut it to six (points) in the fourth quarter and he came down and make back-to-back baskets and all the sudden the game is back up to 11 and they win going away. I think he thrives on pressure. The bigger the game the better he plays.”
St. George’s coach Ryan Peplinksi spent time with Ricks the last three summers when he played for the Eastern Washington Elite.
“He can go on scoring runs that are truly phenomenal against top-level competition – whether he is knocking down 3s, posting up or on the bounce,” Peplinksi said. “His game translates well to the next level with his ability to get his own shot and create for others.”
It didn’t take long for Ricks to become a known product. He averaged 12.5 points as a freshman and made nine 3-pointers in a game as a sophomore.
“A lot of teams didn’t know me back then,” Ricks said. “Teams don’t lose me very often anymore. I’m usually not left alone. Anytime I put the ball on the floor and drive I get double-teamed.”
Ricks was a three-starter in football at wide receiver and safety. He was named first team all-league at wide receiver as a junior and first team at both positions last fall.
Ricks appreciated the strength and toughness he gained from football, but the sport was a distant second to basketball.
Eight state-title banners hang in NWC’s gym. The state title last year, though, was particularly special to father and son for obvious reasons.
Ryan wants to hang up another banner this season.
NWC is 17-1 overall, its loss (73-66) coming in December at Coeur d’Alene, in Idaho’s largest classification. The Crusaders are 14-0 in league.
“We lost three starters. We don’t have as many scoring options,” Ryan said. “We just had scorers across the board last year. This year is different. But we have a good enough team to win again.”
Especially with Ricks leading the way.