6-foot De La Salle point guard Leo Ricketts isn't going far for college. In fact, he could actually commute if need be (it's just an hour and a half one way) because Ricketts has selected Sacramento State for his higher education and the continuation of his basketball career.
Now Sacramento State has experienced a shakeup of sorts recently with Head Coach David Patrick departing for an associate head coach role at Louisiana State University. Hornet Associate Head Coach Michael Czepil then became the interim head coach for the coming season.
But one element remained consistent as Czepil was Ricketts' primary recruiter and made sure he stayed in touch during the transition.
Why Sacramento State?
"Sacramento State recruited me the longest," Ricketts explained, adding that "Coach Czepil was my main recruiting relationship."
Plus, in a you-couldn't-have-scripted-this turn, Ricketts will have a family member close by. "My 103-year-old great grandmother lives one block way from campus. She will be a great resource."
He added, "Sacramento State is close to home and my family can come to games." Ricketts also attended various Hornet summer camps which provided him great familiarity with the program and personnel.
What Will He Bring?
Asked what fans will be seeing from him, Ricketts said, "for sure, my work ethic plus my dedication and discipline. I'll be leading with my actions since I'll be a newcomer. The most important actions in winning are a good attitude and overall positivity."
He is still unsure what his major will be—"I'm still exploring," Ricketts explained. "I'm interested interested in psychology and also graphics, animation and filmmaking, something to do with movies." In yet another life quirk, his father appeared as an actor extra in "Jurassic Park 2."
As a extra (can we call it a signing bonus?), Ricketts will accompany his new coaching staff and teammates on a tour of Australia from June 6-16. The trip will offer cultural and educational components as well as four games versus pro and semi-pro basketball teams. As Ricketts said, "I just got my passport."
Besides the Aussie term "barbie" which most Americans know now as barbeque, he'll likely return stateside with vocabulary additions such as "ankle biter" for a child, "buggered" for exhausted and "crikey" as an expression of surprise. More importantly, he'll have the opportunity to gain familiarity with his coaches and teammates on and off the court as well as the Hornet offensive and defensive schemes.
Here's our earlier feature on Ricketts.