SPRINGFIELD — Jared Ridder has never seen a Bill Murray movie, but he at least knows who he is.
You can’t knock him too much. Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Caddyshack… all were released long before he was born. His coach is a much bigger fan of the comedy icon.
Ridder has talked about Murray with his son, Luke, as the Xavier assistant played an integral part in snagging the most coveted Springfield prep basketball prospect in over a decade.
The Kickapoo junior ended his courtship last Wednesday, announcing his commitment to the Musketeers via Twitter. The decision seemed too quick to some, especially with Power 5 conference offers coming in, but Ridder was certain.
“I thought I shouldn’t wait through it all. That was the main school I was looking into,” he said.
No player at a Springfield Public School has received Ridder’s level of interest since Deven Mitchell and Anthony Tolliver helped capture Kickapoo’s last state championship in 2003. Both ended up in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Ridder had high major offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State, but playing in Cincinnati was an easy sell.
“You look into the little things, and the main thing was Coach (Chris) Mack. He was really the one I wanted to play for.”
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Like with Murray, family has been a main topic in many conversations between Ridder and Mack since the latter visited Kickapoo during a workout last year. He spoke about his two daughters, Hailee and Lainee, and his son, Brayden, and how they loved going to the lake.
That resonated with Ridder, someone who holds family in that same high regard. After all, they helped mold him into the player he’s become.
“I grew up watching my brothers play. Battling them in the driveway got me really competitive. Going to all my brothers’ tournaments and watching them just made me want to be good.”
His oldest sibling, Brandon, was a wide receiver at Missouri State. The middle child, Matt, is a guard on the Southwest Baptist University men’s basketball team. There was a time when they could expose their baby brother to that rough and tumble atmosphere around the family’s basketball hoop, but that may not be so easy these days.
Jared is now the tallest of the Ridder boys, standing 6-foot-7 after a growth spurt prior to his sophomore year. He enjoyed great success as a freshman on the junior varsity squad and made several trips with the varsity team. Dick Rippee admitted Ridder could have contributed right away as a varsity-only player, but as a first-year high school student, he felt it was crucial for Ridder to have more minutes on the floor.
It paid dividends as Ridder fought his way into a starting role as a sophomore, despite Kickapoo returning every varsity starter. He immediately became the Chiefs’ biggest bull on the glass, pulling down five rebounds per game. He came within an eyelash of the team lead in scoring.
That spring, Ridder received his first Division I offer from Missouri State.
“I thought I would stay at that level, but I kept growing as a player and things started to pick up.”
The growth was not subtle. It plowed over the Ozark Conference and anyone who came across the Chiefs’ path during his junior season. This time, he was Kickapoo’s most prolific scorer, averaging 19 points and pouring in 618 total, the fourth most for a single campaign in program history.
His post presence and ever-improving jump shot helped the Chiefs get past every in-state opponent they met until the Final Four. ‘
The road was not free of bumps, however.
Ridder injured his foot in Kickapoo’s quarterfinal win over Blue Springs South. His status was in question as they prepared to face Lee’s Summit in Columbia. He could barely get his sock on before tip due to how much his foot had swollen, but still managed to register a double-double in an 85-81 win.
To this day, he can’t help but wonder if Kickapoo’s championship loss against nationally-ranked Chaminade would have been a different result had he been 100 percent.
“I could have helped rebound more and moved a little better. I just played from three-point line to three-point line because they didn’t want me to reinjure it.”
But the lasting memory of the season is what the Chiefs are capable of, a ceiling that stands to reach higher as Ridder continues to grow. College coaches took notice as well, as Arkansas became his first Power 5 offer in April.
“That’s when I first realized that I could play high-level Division I basketball.”
Oklahoma State and Iowa State followed. The list grew to 14, including Saint Louis, Air Force, IUPUI, Stetson, Northern Iowa, Lehigh, DePaul, Elon, and Boise State.
His offense jumped out first and foremost, but recruiters recognized that his value goes far beyond that.
“Coaches talk about how hard I play and how I have a motor. I go after loose balls and rebounds. It’s not just my shooting, that’s just one thing to add onto it. They like my versatility and that I can guard different positions.”
That versatility has Xavier fans buzzing, but they’ll have to wait. The stressful part is over, and Ridder can focus on finishing the job next year.
