Orlando Antigua calls Ricky Council a 'tough matchup'

Two 16-7 SEC squads will square off on Tuesday, as Kentucky hosts Arkansas in a marquee inter-conference matchup. Both teams enter the game coming off of two straight victories, and if the Wildcats want to push their streak to three games, they might want to start with stopping Razorbacks’ guard Ricky Council. Ahead of Tuesday’s game, Kentucky assistant coach Orlando Antigua previewed their upcoming matchup against Council.

“It’s a tough matchup, like I said, those three guards they’re playing 30-plus minutes a game and they all bring their own talents and abilities to the table,” Antigua said. “Ricky Council’s certainly one of those guys that on any given night can go off for 30.”

Council spent the previous two seasons at Wichita State, but burst onto the scene in his first season in the SEC. Council ranks second in the conference in points per game averaging 17 points per game. He’s scored 20-plus points in seven games this season and has proven himself as one of the biggest scoring threats not only in the SEC, but the entire country.

Council also has a tremendous workload, leading the SEC in minutes per game with a 35.3 minutes per game average. This may seem like an issue for the Razorbacks, but they have no issue with depth at the guard position, with players like Anthony Black and Davonte Davis more than capable of picking up the offensive slack in the backcourt.

“We have a great challenge in terms of trying to contain him. And Davonte Davis has been playing ridiculously in those last four games as well as Anthony Black,” Antigua said.

Both Black and Davis average over 10 points a game for the Razorbacks, and Antigua was not wrong about the recent play of Davis. He’s scored in double figures in Arkansas’ last eight games, averaging 16.6 points per game. He’s been efficient from behind the arc and is a threat in the lane capable of providing an electrifying dunk at any given moment.

Black has also been extremely efficient in his freshman season with Arkansas, showing impressive ability on both ends of the floor with his 6-foot-7, 200-pound frame. Black leads the Razorbacks in steals and assists per game, and his 4 assists a night currently ranks fifth in the SEC. He’s a proven distributor and playmaker, but is also very capable of scoring when needed, averaging 12.5 points per game with a pair of back-to-back 26-point games already on his young resume.