Team 2010-11: Arizona State (USA-NCAA)
Career: Arizona State (USA-NCAA, 2007-11)
Rihards breakthrough came in his sophomore year, as Kuksiks established himself as a solid third option behind NBA draft picks James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph by averaging 10.3 points in 33.1 minutes per game. Once Harden and Pendergraph went to the NBA, Kuksiks role got bigger and now enters his senior year amongst the main contributors for Arizona. His main asset is his three-point shooting, where he averaged 39% from beyond the arc last year. He can explode to the hoop as well, as he has quick footwork, and can shake off his defender with pace. And his basketball IQ is also first-class. He understands what his role is and will grow into a mature player who can score, rebound and dish the ball. The one difference for him is that European ball is much more physical than college ball, so Kuksiks will need to make that adjustment quickly and have more of a mean-streak to him if he is to succeed at this level.
