CJ Bruton
February 2, 2021
Rick Rickert
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 11/02/83
- Place of Birth: Duluth, Minnesota (USA)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 211
- Weight (KG): 107
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Minnesota (2001–2003)
- NBL DEBUT: 20/09/07
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 13/02/10
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: New Zealand 2008-10 | Gold Coast 2011 (DNP)
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Rick Rickert was born in Duluth, Minnesota (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Rick Rickert made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 24 years of age. He scored 19 points in his first game.
During his first season with the Breakers, Rickert averaged 17.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists as the Breakers finished in seventh place (16-14).
2008/09
After the Brisbane Bullets fell into financial hardship and withdrew from the league, head coach Andrej Lemanis recruited free agent pair CJ Bruton (two-year deal) and former Breaker Dillon Boucher (three-year deal) to play for the Breakers with the explicit intentions to win a championship that season.
‘The Breakers have proved they’re a playoff team and I’d like to help take them up to that next level,’ Bruton said upon signing with New Zealand.
‘I’ve seen the Breakers change their team and their culture to become more competitive. They’re serious about becoming number one and I want to be a part of New Zealand’s first championship. You don’t play this sport just to be in it.’
The duo joined the existing roster of Paul Henare, Kirk Penney, Phill Jones, Oscar Forman, Tony Ronaldson and Tim Behrendorff. The Breakers later signed import Rick Rickert to finalise their roster.
Bruton’s signing gave the Breakers’ stability and direction at the point guard position, something the Breakers had always been missing. New Zealand would play with only one import this season, being led by Bruton (16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.7 steals ) and sharp-shooting Penney (24.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) who would be selected to the All-NBL First Team. Penney would also make history by becoming the first New Zealand born player to win NBL MVP, and Phill Jones was voted the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.
With 14 games left in the season and the Breakers on top of the ladder (15-4), Bruton suffered a high-ankle sprain in late December, which saw the team stumble through January, losing eight of their next nine games.
Heading into the playoffs with a win in their last game regular season game, the Breakers finished with a 18–12 record, setting the team up with their first ever home playoff game. New Zealand went on to win their elimination playoff, routing Adelaide (131–101) to set up a best-of-three semi final series with the defending champions Melbourne. In their first-ever semi finals appearance, the Breakers were beaten 2–0.
Rickert appeared in all 33 games, averaging 13.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
2009/10
Having achieved their first-ever playoff appearance the season prior, coach Andrej Lemanis returned with the majority of Breakers roster intact, losing only Phill Jones (to Cairns) and Tim Behrendorff (to Wollongong). Having played with one import last season, Rick Rickert, the Breakers added Dave Thomas (via Cairns) to add veteran leadership to the club but prior to the season starting, he was forced to retire from playing in the NBL due to injury. Former NBA talent Awvee Storey was then signed as his replacement and development player Thomas Abercrombie was elevated to the full squad.
New Zealand struggled through the first half of the season, mainly due to missing their leading scorer Kirk Penney (23.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists) due to a back injury that saw him sidelined for nine games. In addition to this, Storey (7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists) fell well short of expectations and was released after nine games with the club stating ‘things weren’t working out’. John Rillie (4.3 points and 1.6 rebounds), who had been released by Townsville the season prior, signed with the club as a interim replacement and appeared in 12 games.
New Zealand was then boosted by the midseason addition of import Kevin Braswell (9.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.3 steals), who played in the Breakers final seven games, winning the last six in a row.
New Zealand’s late-season surge proved to be in vain, as the Breakers missed the playoffs during one of the closest NBL seasons of all-time. Despite New Zealand being only two games behind league leaders Perth, they would miss the playoffs and finish in fifth place (15-13).
As a result of Rickert (11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) finishing the season with a decline in his productivity for the third season, he was not offered a contract to return the following year.
Rick Rickert played three seasons in the NBL. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 73 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 27 | New Zealand | 15-13 (5) | 27 | 637.0 | 312 | 192 | 46 | 80 | 112 | 5 | 11 | 39 | 69 | 126 | 240 | 53% | 0 | 4 | 0% | 60 | 93 | 65% | 55% | 53% | 22 |
| 2008-09 | 26 | New Zealand | 18-12 (3) | 33 | 871.0 | 444 | 274 | 54 | 100 | 174 | 12 | 17 | 56 | 101 | 190 | 360 | 53% | 0 | 5 | 0% | 64 | 101 | 63% | 54% | 53% | 26 |
| 2007-08 | 25 | New Zealand | 16-14 (7) | 13 | 408.0 | 232 | 139 | 18 | 49 | 90 | 5 | 12 | 22 | 41 | 93 | 172 | 54% | 0 | 4 | 0% | 46 | 67 | 69% | 57% | 54% | 30 | Totals | 73 | 1916 | 988 | 605 | 118 | 229 | 376 | 22 | 40 | 117 | 211 | 409 | 772 | 53.0% | 0 | 13 | 0.0% | 170 | 261 | 65.1% | 56% | 53% | 30 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 27 | New Zealand | 15-13 (5) | 27 | 23.6 | 11.6 | 7.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 4.7 | 8.9 | 53% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 2.2 | 3.4 | 65% | 55% | 53% | 22 |
| 2008-09 | 26 | New Zealand | 18-12 (3) | 33 | 26.4 | 13.5 | 8.3 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 5.8 | 10.9 | 53% | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0% | 1.9 | 3.1 | 63% | 54% | 53% | 26 |
| 2007-08 | 25 | New Zealand | 16-14 (7) | 13 | 31.4 | 17.8 | 10.7 | 1.4 | 3.8 | 6.9 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 7.2 | 13.2 | 54% | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 3.5 | 5.2 | 69% | 57% | 54% | 30 | Total | 73 | 26.2 | 13.5 | 8.3 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 5.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 5.6 | 10.6 | 53.0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.2 | 65.1% | 56% | 53% | 30 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 30 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Rick Rickert was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with pick #55 in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Despite his own beliefs that he would be taken in the first round Rickert slipped to fifth last pick in the draft.
Kevin Garnett punched Rick Rickert in a 2004 pick-up game
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Slovenia - Krka (2003–2004) | Greece - Panellinios (2005) | Spain - Lleida (2005) | New Zealand - Harbour (2010), Wellington (2013) | Germany - Ludwigsburg (2010–2011) | Puerto Rico - Bayamón (2011) | Japan - Kyoto (2011–2012), Osaka (2012–2013), Wakayama (2013–2014), Chiba (2014–2016), Ibaraki (2016–2018)
Rickert joined Krka Novo Mesto for the 2003–04 season, playing his first season in Slovenia and appearing in EuroLeague competition during that stint.
Rickert later moved through Europe in 2005 with Panellinios in Greece before also spending time in Spain with Lleida in the Spanish second division during the same calendar year.
Rickert joined Harbour for the 2010 New Zealand NBL season and earned Player of the Week recognition in Week 3 after a 22-point, 22-rebound performance in a win over Wellington, a game that also featured key Harbour contributors BJ Anthony, Kavossy Franklin, and Corey Webster.
Rickert returned to Europe with Ludwigsburg for the 2010–11 Basketball Bundesliga season in Germany, where he appeared in 32 league games and remained part of the club’s frontcourt rotation across that campaign.
Rickert joined Bayamón for the 2011 Baloncesto Superior Nacional season in Puerto Rico before moving to Japan later in 2011, starting a multi-year run that included Kyoto in 2011–12 and Osaka in 2012–13 across Japan’s top domestic competitions before continuing in later seasons with Wakayama, Chiba, and Ibaraki through to the end of his playing career in 2018.
Rickert joined Wellington for the 2013 New Zealand NBL season and delivered a late-season impact that included a 33-point, 15-rebound game against Nelson in June 2013, with Corey Webster and Casey Frank also prominent in that contest for Wellington.
COLLEGE
Rickert played college basketball at Minnesota during the 2001–02 season before returning for the 2002–03 season, where he competed for the Golden Gophers in the Big Ten Conference from 2001 to 2003.
In the 2001–02 season, Minnesota finished 19–13 overall and 7–9 in Big Ten play under head coach Dan Monson, and Rickert appeared in 31 games as a true freshman, starting 29 contests while averaging 29.9 minutes per game.
Across that freshman season, Rickert averaged 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, totaling 468 points and 165 rebounds, while adding 43 assists, 24 steals, and 30 blocks.
He shot 47.3% from the field (168-for-355), 40.0% from three-point range (36-for-90), and 78.0% from the free-throw line (96-for-123) during the 2001–02 campaign.
Rickert recorded multiple 20-point performances as a freshman, including a 27-point effort against Indiana and a 25-point outing against Purdue, and he led Minnesota in scoring in 12 games that season.
Following that 2001–02 season in which he averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds per game, Rickert became the first Gopher player ever to win the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.
In his sophomore season of 2002–03, Minnesota finished 19–14 overall and 7–9 in Big Ten play, and Rickert started all 33 games while increasing his averages to 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game across 31.8 minutes per contest.
During the 2002–03 season he totaled 538 points and 207 rebounds, along with 47 assists, 23 steals, and 33 blocks, while shooting 46.6% from the field (191-for-410), 34.7% from three-point range (34-for-98), and 81.1% from the free-throw line (122-for-150).
Rickert posted nine 20-point games as a sophomore, including a 29-point performance against Iowa and a 27-point outing versus Penn State, and he led Minnesota in scoring 17 times during the season.
Over his two-year collegiate career at Minnesota from 2001 to 2003, Rickert played in 64 games with 62 starts, averaging 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while totaling 1,006 career points and 372 rebounds in 1,969 minutes.
After averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds his sophomore season Rickert declared for the 2003 NBA Draft.
Additional Info: Rickert played collegiately for the University of Minnesota, where after averaging 15 points and 5 rebounds per game in 2001/02 he became the first Gopher player ever to win the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. After averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds his sophomore season Rickert declared for the 2003 NBA Draft.
AWARDS
- 1x NBL Leading Rebounder
- McDonald's All-American (2001)
Related
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