Transfer Preview: Rikus Schulte (UC Riverside)
A look at what Rikus Schulte will bring to the Bronx.
Hello and welcome back to the blog! I have several transfer previews in the queue to be shared over the coming weeks. These articles will focus mostly on player performance at their previous destination(s) rather than their anticipated impact at Fordham. We will get to that later in the offseason!
Rikus Schulte, a 6’9” forward, will follow Mike Magpayo from UC Riverside. Schulte was Magpayo’s first commitment at Fordham, and announced his commitment without going through a traditional open recruitment in the transfer portal.
Schulte began his collegiate career in the A10 at Davidson, appearing in 11 games as a freshman before transferring to UCR. He played professionally in Germany before arriving in the States, spending three seasons with Lokomotive Bernau in Germany’s ProB League and two seasons with Alba Berlin, the largest national basketball club in Germany. For a more information regarding his previous experience, check out the school’s press release.
This season, Schulte was mostly the Highlanders’ backup at the four spot, posting:
3.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.2 BLK, 0.3 STL in 15.2 minutes per game on
53.6% FG
23.8% 3PT (5-21)
61.8% 2PT (47-76)
56.3% FT (9-16)
Some highlights of Schulte’s game:
Schulte excelled scoring the ball around the rim and was the best rim finisher on a team that did not emphasize rim scoring. UC Riverside only attempted 24.3% of their shots at the rim as a team (6th percentile in D1) and converted at 61.1% (39th percentile), while Schulte took the majority of his shots at the rim (51.5%) and converted at 72%. Per KenPom, Schulte posted the second-best offensive rating on UC Riverside last season: 115.8, a good indicator of his efficiency on offense.
Schulte has a knack for creating tip-out second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass and holds his own on the defensive glass. Schulte’s numbers do not stand out defensively, and he grades out below average in most categories, but I have optimism those can improve in his second year with Magpayo. Listed at 6’9” 240, he has the physical size to hang with more traditional post players but can also operate on the perimeter in screen-and-roll action and has a developing outside shot. Schulte wasn’t a flashy first commitment but a necessity in a transfer market that gets progressively more competitive for players with skill and height.
Thank you for reading! Comments are welcomed. I post/repost all Fordham Basketball news on my X feed (@fordhamhoopsfan) for those looking to stay up to date.
Next up: Akira Jacobs.