Ricca, a senior guard out of the St. Paul’s School, has taken his game to another level this winter while continuing to do all the little things that help his team wins games. He’s done a nice job of developing his body, allowing him to make a difference as an on-ball defender and also to play through contact as a driver on the other end of the floor. He does a good job of moving without the basketball, consistently knocks down shots in catch and shoot situations, and makes quick decisions as a ball mover. Defensively, he’s almost always in the right spot in rotations, gives up his body to chase down loose balls, and is willing to mix it up on the glass. He’s a St. Lawrence commit that will have the chance to quickly carve out a role there in the fall and should help them win a lot of games over the next four years.

Ricca had one of the prettier shots on display at Tufts elite camp. He has no wasted motion in his release and doesn’t let his guide hand do too much work, so it looks very nice and consistent. He also has great speed and a very strong upper body, which allows him to compete athletically with other high level guards. Passing wise, he’s unselfish and willing to make the simple pass, and I love how he always kicks the ball ahead to teammates. Some added verve to his ball handling would certainly give him a better chance at cracking the high D3 schools, but he’ll definitely be on a D3 squad when the time comes.

Ricca has had an excellent AAU season for NE Elite. He looks to have gotten stronger since the high school season, which is helping him keep his line on drives and get into the heart of the defense for finishes and rim reads. He has a really nice handle and a quick first step, and he can also shoot it from the outside and make plays for his teammates. He should be a key cog for St. Paul’s School next season and my guess would be that he plays fairly high D3 college basketball the year after that. Really solid player and a tough cover.

Ricca was getting hounded in the backcourt all game but was able to use his quickness, change of pace and ball handling ability to get by defenders. Had some really nice finishes at the rim and is really great at using his off-hand when blowing by defenders. Uses headfakes and misdirection moves well to get opponents off balance.