Kentucky hits the mark for Nick Richards
Elizabeth, NJ
Things have been calm and silent on the recruiting front in Lexington. That is going to change and quickly at that. The first strike was made by John Calipari and his staff today as they picked up, yet again, another five-star recruit, this one coming in the form of Nick Richards, a 6-foot-10 big man out of New Jersey.
Throughout the process, Richards had been a highly followed and wanted man ever since he showed off just how good he was and could be playing two years up on the Nike circuit three years ago. While he was never seen as a super skilled big man, Richards was and continues to be valued for his motor, mobility in getting up and down the floor, and super bouncy and light-footed abilities near the basket.
It wasn’t until this past summer that things took off for The Patrick School big man when it came to displaying his improved skillset from 15-feet and in. While he is still far from a finished product, Richards is capable of squaring his man up from the mid to high post setting and knocking down the intermediate jumper, putting the ball on the floor on the attack to the basket, or making the proper kick-out pass to the open teammate.
Toughness will never be an issue with Richards and while Kentucky faithful struggled with Skal Labissiere’s desire to play away from the basket, the five-star big man will never cause for such concern. He is a willing rebounder and scorer in the lane and though he is not Willie Cauley-Stein, he does have shades of the 2016 first round draft pick due to their comparable athleticism and size out of the elite duo.
On the EYBL circuit this past summer playing alongside Georgetown, Arizona State, and Villanova signees, Richards was his team’s rock down low. He didn’t attempt a single 3-point jumper but he did make nearly 60-percent of his shots from the field which aided in his 12 points per game averages while playing less than 24 minutes per contest. Nearly nine rebounds and two blocks were also chipped in from Richards, displaying just how productive he is within the interior.
The first commitment in the 2017 class, Kentucky might not sit still with its lone talent for the time being. PJ Washington, a 6-foot-7 power forward and another five-star recruit, is set to commit this evening where the Findlay Prep star would create a dynamic, elite rebounding force with Richards, that is if he would also call Lexington his home for next fall.
