ACU’s veteran guard, defensive tone-setter, and all-around winning piece
In the 2019-20 season, Payten Ricks was a do-it-all senior guard for Abilene Christian, earning All-Southland First Team and All-Defensive honors while leading the conference with 70 steals and helping power ACU’s first NCAA Tournament run. His calling card was two-way impact: steady decision-making, defensive disruption, and enough scoring punch to swing games, as shown by his 18-point outing against Incarnate Word in February 2020. He looks like a culture fit for teams that value toughness, experience, and reliable two-way guard play.
