The new UF staff loves the potential its sees in sophomore guard Will Richard (4).
Harry Fodder: How Will Richard Fits In
Thursday, April 14, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The new Florida basketball staff was up against it. Coach Todd Golden and two assistants were headed to Nashville, Tenn., for the fifth and final leg of a barnstorming recruiting tour that took them to five different states in four days. The last stop, though, needed to be a quick meet-and-greet turnaround because the flight back home had been moved up due to a pending storm approaching the Volunteer State.
Before taking off for Nashville, one of the assistants put a call into the Gators' targeted player, Belmont guard Will Richard, explained the situation and asked if Richard could find a spot closer to the airport to meet them upon arrival, given the time crunch. The flight took off (and out of cell service) before a reply.
When the jet touched down in Nashville, a response came in from Richard. He was at a restaurant three minutes from the airport. The two parties met up and Richard was on campus with his parents on the first official visit day.
As it turned out, Richard was excited about the prospect of being a Gator. The feeling, obviously, was mutual.
On Wednesday, Richard's transfer paperwork was processed and the 6-foot-5, 195-pound sophomore-to-be officially became part of the 2022-23 roster and thus the first new acquisition by Golden. The Fairburn, Ga., product projects as a perimeter player who figures to be on the floor a bunch next season, just like he was a freshman for the Bruins on his way to the 2021 Ohio Valley All-Newcomer team.
Richard averaged 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds, while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 32.6 from the 3-point line. His numbers dipped a tad in conference play, especially his 3-point shooting (24.1 percent), but the Florida staff sees that more of a freshman wall thing, what with Richard averaging 27.6 minutes over 33 games as a collegiate rookie.
The fact is the kid was under-recruited out of high school, but with the portal that's become a thing for a ton of talented players. His last two seasons of high school also were impacted by COVID restrictions, otherwise Richard likely would have been at a high-major program after helping guide Woodward Academy to the 2020 Georgia Class 4A state title as a junior and averaging 24.0 points a game as a senior in '21.
He'll come to town with a 6-11 wingspan and armed with the defensive characteristics and near-identical physical measurements that remind the staff — dare we say — of a younger version of Philadelphia 76ers Matisse Thybulle, currently one of the best defenders in the NBA.
Skill-wise, he's extremely aggressively on the perimeter in attacking the lane, with his exceptional length making for a solid finisher who can take on contact and get to the free-throw line, where he made 80.4 percent. He took basically an equal number of 2s vs. 3s (149 to 144, respectively) and converted 60.4 percent of his shots inside the arc. The coaches are confident Richard can work himself into a good shooter from distance after making 47 of them as a freshman. Athletically, he's not off the charts, but he's plenty good enough and takes pride in what he does at the defensive end (41 steals, 27 blocks), as well. Good student. Good personality. Good family. Good culture guy.
Oh, and he's got three years of eligibility remaining.
Golden was enjoying visions of the sophomore duo of Kowacie Reeves and Richard roaming the perimeter together (along with returning fifth-year senior Myreon Jones and blossoming junior Niels Lane) when Reeves took a couple days to mull entering the transfer portal. But Reeves, who averaged 16.3 points and shot 50 percent from the floor (including 9-for-23 from deep) in the postseason, ultimately opted to return to the Gators rather than test the portal.
Golden -- and Gator fans -- can safely resume those visions.
With more moves to come.
Before taking off for Nashville, one of the assistants put a call into the Gators' targeted player, Belmont guard Will Richard, explained the situation and asked if Richard could find a spot closer to the airport to meet them upon arrival, given the time crunch. The flight took off (and out of cell service) before a reply.
When the jet touched down in Nashville, a response came in from Richard. He was at a restaurant three minutes from the airport. The two parties met up and Richard was on campus with his parents on the first official visit day.
As it turned out, Richard was excited about the prospect of being a Gator. The feeling, obviously, was mutual.
On Wednesday, Richard's transfer paperwork was processed and the 6-foot-5, 195-pound sophomore-to-be officially became part of the 2022-23 roster and thus the first new acquisition by Golden. The Fairburn, Ga., product projects as a perimeter player who figures to be on the floor a bunch next season, just like he was a freshman for the Bruins on his way to the 2021 Ohio Valley All-Newcomer team.
Richard averaged 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds, while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 32.6 from the 3-point line. His numbers dipped a tad in conference play, especially his 3-point shooting (24.1 percent), but the Florida staff sees that more of a freshman wall thing, what with Richard averaging 27.6 minutes over 33 games as a collegiate rookie.
It's official 🖋
— Florida Gators Men's Basketball (@GatorsMBK) April 13, 2022
Gator Nation, welcome @The_WTR12 to GNV 🐊
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The fact is the kid was under-recruited out of high school, but with the portal that's become a thing for a ton of talented players. His last two seasons of high school also were impacted by COVID restrictions, otherwise Richard likely would have been at a high-major program after helping guide Woodward Academy to the 2020 Georgia Class 4A state title as a junior and averaging 24.0 points a game as a senior in '21.
He'll come to town with a 6-11 wingspan and armed with the defensive characteristics and near-identical physical measurements that remind the staff — dare we say — of a younger version of Philadelphia 76ers Matisse Thybulle, currently one of the best defenders in the NBA.
Skill-wise, he's extremely aggressively on the perimeter in attacking the lane, with his exceptional length making for a solid finisher who can take on contact and get to the free-throw line, where he made 80.4 percent. He took basically an equal number of 2s vs. 3s (149 to 144, respectively) and converted 60.4 percent of his shots inside the arc. The coaches are confident Richard can work himself into a good shooter from distance after making 47 of them as a freshman. Athletically, he's not off the charts, but he's plenty good enough and takes pride in what he does at the defensive end (41 steals, 27 blocks), as well. Good student. Good personality. Good family. Good culture guy.
Oh, and he's got three years of eligibility remaining.
Golden was enjoying visions of the sophomore duo of Kowacie Reeves and Richard roaming the perimeter together (along with returning fifth-year senior Myreon Jones and blossoming junior Niels Lane) when Reeves took a couple days to mull entering the transfer portal. But Reeves, who averaged 16.3 points and shot 50 percent from the floor (including 9-for-23 from deep) in the postseason, ultimately opted to return to the Gators rather than test the portal.
Golden -- and Gator fans -- can safely resume those visions.
With more moves to come.
Players Mentioned
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