Richard Carl (Rick) Mount (born January 5 1947, in Lebanon, Indiana) The rocket is considered by many to be the best pure shooter ever to play basketball.

Mount attended Lebanon High School from 1962-1966. There, he developed his famous and deadly-accurate jump-shot. From his first game as a freshman until he graduated, he started and scored in double figures each time he stepped on the court. He averaged 27.3 points over 94 career high school games, and finished with 2,595 points, which at the time ranked second on Indiana's all-time prep scoring list.

He was named the nation's best high school player by USA Basketball Yearbook in 1966, his senior year. On Feb. 14, 1966, he became the first high school team athlete featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  Mount also claimed the much coveted title of Indiana’s Mr. Basketball after his senior season.

Following high school, the 6-foot-4, 175-pound Mount accepted a scholarship to Purdue University.  His first varsity season, as a sophomore, Mount finished with a 28.4 scoring average.
In the 1968-69 season, Mount averaged 33.3 points a game, including two 45-point efforts. Mount was named first team All-Big Ten and consensus first team All-American.

During his senior season at Purdue, Mount scored 53 points twice, and 61 against Iowa, on 27-of-47 shooting. Later research found that if the three-point line had existed in 1970, Mount would have scored 74 points in that game.
Mount again was named consensus first team All-American after his senior season, along with first team All-Big Ten.

 

For his career, Mount was a two-time consensus All-American and three-time first team All-Big Ten pick.

He is Purdue's all-time scoring leader, despite playing just 72 games, all without the three-point line, which was instituted in 1986. He also still holds the Big Ten conference scoring average record with 32.3 points per game, which is seventh all-time nationally.

To illustrate the high regard for Mount's shooting ability, Scripps Howard News Service conducted a poll of 30 current college basketball coaches and 10 former coaches, asking them to select the best outside shooter in history. Mount was the top vote-getter.

 In a state where basketball is king, Mount was a legend.  You don’t here many mention him anymore but those who were around and knew basketball, there was few, if any, before or since that was better.

Mount now runs a basketball camp in Monticello, Indiana, called "Rick Mount Shooting School" and has produced a video/DVD on his shooting technique titled "Mount Method of Simplified Shooting Skills."