George Washington University Athletics
Still Growing
11/4/2021 12:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Lindo has developed physically and mentally during time in Buff & Blue
In his first season as a member of the GW men’s basketball team, Ricky Lindo Jr. developed a reputation for his ability to generate laughs among the group with his text messages.
After transferring from Maryland, the soft-spoken forward broke the ice and began building off-the-court bonds with his new teammates one well-timed meme or TikTok video at a time.
“He’s a little quiet at first, but once you get to know him, he’s a really funny guy," teammate James Bishop said.
Yet, the most important text that Lindo sent during the season was concise and decidedly meme-free. Shortly after the new year, he delivered the good news to Head Coach Jamion Christian: “I’m ready to play.”
Lindo was set to sit out the 2020-21 season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules, eager to take full advantage of the chance to spend the year developing his game behind the scenes. That plan changed once the organization granted a blanket waiver allowing transfers immediate eligibility amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and the Buff and Blue experienced a midseason roster shuffle.
Lindo made the most of his expedited Buff and Blue debut, averaging a double-double with 11.4 points and 10.7 rebounds over the final seven games of the season. After a more traditional offseason focused on his craft, the hardworking D.C. native is poised to take his game to the next level as a leader of Christian’s revamped squad playing in front of friends and family in his hometown.
“It’s so hard to find guys like Ricky that just play hard every single play and just want to win and find ways to win,” Christian said. “He’s a guy that can truly get lost in the game and not worry about his numbers and just lock into what’s best for the team. It’s why we felt like being able to add him to this roster was going to be a game-changer for us.”
COMING HOME
Back in the summer of 2018 following a decorated career at nearby Wilson High School, Lindo was headed to prep school and excited about the chance to spend a year working on his game. Instead, Maryland came calling with a late scholarship offer, and within weeks, he was on campus with the Terrapins as a 17-year-old first-year.
That experience was on Lindo’s mind in the spring of 2020 when Christian made his pitch about joining the Buff and Blue.
He was excited about the development that he could make under the tutelage of the veteran coach and his staff, especially with time to focus on getting stronger, building his jump shot and improving his ball-handling. That he’d be doing it in the nation’s capital just a few miles from home made it even better.
“I liked that he was going to allow me to play my game,” said Lindo, who averaged 1.7 points in 63 games over his two seasons at UMD. “Not just concentrating on doing one thing but letting me be an all-around player. The chance to do everything I can with the abilities that I have, that was what really intrigued me.”
For Christian, Lindo’s commitment to join the Buff and Blue in April 2020 meant the chance to work with a guy who first impressed him with his effort as a lanky ninth-grader at Wilson High.
“We recruited him forever,” Christian said. “I remember watching him on film as a freshman, and I was just amazed at his motor, his tenacity to play defensively and how much he loved to win. The Ricky Lindo we see today on the floor, he’s been that person ever since we started recruiting him way back when.”
GROWTH MINDSET
Last season, Lindo immediately established himself among the program’s hardest workers. During a difficult season in which COVID-19 restrictions established a new normal, he got into the gym as much as he could, completing many of his extra sessions under the direction of Assistant Coach Graham Bousley.
The staff built a development program for him designed to capitalize on his uncommon work ethic and help him learn from his mistakes without getting frustrated.
“Coach has definitely been consistent with his confidence in me,” Lindo said. “That’s helped me grow and have confidence in myself to show off the skills that I have.”
Since his arrival on campus, Lindo has continued to fill out his frame, and even grown two inches, while improving his game, but Christian said his biggest area of progress has probably been in his mental approach.
“He’s really starting to develop a growth mindset, where he’s trusting in his work and trusting in himself,” Christian said. “When we’re developing, it’s about being connected to an understanding of the bigger picture, and I’m happy for him because he’s really been able to see the bigger picture and work towards it.”
Ultimately, Lindo got to showcase his progress for the rest of Atlantic 10 and beyond.
Once the NCAA passed the waiver that allowed him to play, Christian never pressured the newcomer to change up his plan, but just as conference play was beginning, Lindo signaled to the coach that he was ready to go with that faithful text message.
“It was just time,” Lindo said. “Seeing where we were, it was like, ‘I can’t just leave the team hanging if I can play.’”
Lindo proved a good fit with the group, making an impact on both ends of the floor. He posted 13 points, 12 rebounds and five steals over 30 minutes in his debut vs. VCU and kept on producing.
Following his debut, no student-athlete in the A-10 had more than his four double-doubles. The confidence-boosting highlight came in the conference tournament when he posted a career-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting as well as 14 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes in a win over Fordham.
“It was just one of those games where I actually felt like I mattered,” Lindo said. “It was something I haven’t felt since probably one of the first few games of my freshman year. It was good to feel that again.”
The unexpected cameo also offered a chance for Bishop to build on-court chemistry with Lindo, who has become one of his best friends away from the floor.
“He’s so easy to play with,” said Bishop, a member of the Preseason All-Conference Second Team after averaging 19.1 points per game last season. “With his style of play, he can fit on any team with any system. I love going out on the floor knowing that Ricky’s with me.”
READY FOR MORE
In the lead up to a new season, Lindo has been working to showcase a more well-rounded game. He hit just three of 17 3-point attempts in his limited time last season, and he’s focused on becoming more versatile on the defensive end.
As one of the veterans on a squad with 10 newcomers, he’s found himself speaking up more, too. The influx of talent, including five D-I transfers, made for an exciting atmosphere that has stoked collective improvement through the fall.
“It definitely makes practice a lot harder,” said Lindo, a senior who just turned 21 in late September. “Every day, you see that competitive edge come out.”
Originally from Northeast D.C. before moving to Northwest, Lindo is looking forward to seeing his parents Ricardo and Erika in the Smith Center crowd and hopefully a slew of familiar faces throughout the season with fans returning to the building for the first time since March 2020.
“I’m excited to see how it is,” said Lindo, who has made sure to take advantage of the chance to head home for dinner or an assist with laundry this fall. “I’ve never been here when it’s a full crowd, so to see how it is for the first time will be amazing.”
As the new campaign begins, the Buff and Blue faithful will get their first in-person chance to cheer on a fun-loving guy with impeccable comedic timing for matching meme and moment in the group text thread, an increasingly complete skillset and a fierce determination to bring a championship to his city.
“He’s a guy you always want in your corner,” Christian said. “I always say this, ‘You want to be on a team where you have guys that you love playing with but hate playing against.’ He definitely fits that because of what he brings on a day-to-day basis.”
