Cameron Ricks said he would love to have at least one more year to play high school basketball. He will settle for one more game.
Ricks, a senior point guard from Mills, claims the Comets will be loaded for the next few seasons.
"I wish I could stick around for one more year," said Ricks, who averaged 16.5 points per game during the Class 5A state tournament. "They are young and they are talented. If I had one more year with them, there's no telling how good we would have been. But everything happens for a reason."
Ricks gets one more chance to don the Comets uniform tonight at the All-Metro Classic, an annual all-star contest that will showcase some of the best players from Pulaski County. The girls game is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. while the boys game is scheduled for 8 p.m.
The event has been a showcase for senior basketball players from schools in Pulaski County since 2000. The games will be played at Arkansas Baptist College for the second year in a row.
For Ricks, tonight's game is a chance to play against some of the best players in the state.
"There's going to be a whole lot of competition out there," Ricks said. "I'm just looking forward to showing my skills and seeing how well I match up with them."
Ricks proved he was capable of playing against the best during the regular season. He averaged 14.5 points per game during the season and turned in a 22-point effort -- 18 in the second half -- in a 55-41, come-from-behind victory over Paragould in the first round of the state tournament.
"Coach [Raymond Cooper] came up to me at halftime and said, 'This is your season. How are you going to let it play out?' " Ricks said. "He said, 'We're going to get you the ball. Make something happen.' "
Ricks scored 14 of his team's 24 third-quarter points as the Comets turned a 26-18 halftime deficit into a 42-31 lead after three quarters.
Ricks is an unsigned senior, but he said he has offers and options. Tennessee State, Southeast Missouri State and Xavier of New Orleans have shown the most interest in bringing Ricks aboard.
Regardless of where he winds up, Ricks said he wants to contribute immediately.
"I'm confident enough in my skills that I don't want to sit on the bench," he said. "I want to play for a team that plays a transition game and likes to get up and down the court. I want to find a school that fits my style."
ALL-METRO CLASSIC
WHERE Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock
GIRLS TIP-OFF 6 p.m.
BOYS TIP-OFF 8 p.m.
ADMISSION $10 (children under 12 free)
Sports on 03/17/2015