Pro Hawgs: Ricky Council IV signs two-way contract following NBA Draft

Ricky Council IV was one of the biggest transfers in the country when Eric Musselman and Arkansas landed him. Touted as the best sixth man in the country in 2021-22, Council became a focal piece of the Razorback offense and becoming a regular on the Sportscenter Top 1o plays.

Now, he has signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers following the 2023 NBA Draft.

Draft Profile:

Height: 6-6
Weight: 208
Position: F

2022-23 season stats:

PPG: 16.1
RPG: 3.6
APG: 2.3
BLK: 0.3
STL: 1.1

Council was a durable option for the Razorbacks last season playing in all 36 games with 29 starts. With a standout season, the former Wichita State Shocker was named second-team All-SEC by coaches and AP by scoring 20+ points in 11 games with a career high 27-points against Troy.

With the ability to play multiple positions, he was able to show his versatility as a 1-3 guard when coming to Arkansas.

Interview with Forbes:

“Even after I got to Arkansas, the coaches didn’t really know how good my handle was until they saw it firsthand. The coaches literally told me that,” Council IV recalled. “I remember it was the game that Anthony Black went down against Fordham. Coach [Musselman] put me out there at point [guard], not really knowing whether or not it would work. And I went out there and had 15 points and seven assists. That was a great moment for me because I got to prove what I could do all along.”

Council’s all around performance last season was something Musselman and staff didn’t know they had. That helps him going into the professional stage of his basketball career.

What Muss Said

“Ricky is a guy that he’s one of the best athletes in the draft,” Musselman said. “He can really, really score the basketball. He’s a very good defender. A guy that can really draw free throws. And his game goes to a whole other level when you can get him in isolation situations or if you can get out in transition. He’s an incredible finisher on the break.”