Richards’ Rise Reaches New Heights in Lubbock
Nick Richards’ breakout has been the story of the season for Kentucky basketball.
Richards, after a forgettable first two seasons as a Wildcat, has had a junior-year star turn, but Saturday brought a new role for him.
Crunch-time go-to guy.
“I kissed Nick on the forehead,” John Calipari said. “I said, ‘There are about three of you in this room that need to do this, but I will do it for you.’ “
With Kentucky’s offense stalling after an outstanding first 30 minutes against a Texas Tech defense with a hard-earned reputation as one of the best in America, Richards carried the No. 15/14 Wildcats (15-4) to a 76-74 victory over No. 18/18 Texas Tech (12-7). He had 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting, grabbed 14 rebounds and swatted four shots in the signature performance in a season full of impressive ones.
“We have no chance of winning without Nick,” Immanuel Quickley said. “What he did for us rebounding the ball, scoring in the paint when we needed it. Twenty-five and 14, four blocks. I mean, it’s not too many big men in the country that are doing that. What he brought today was real big.”
Richards scored 12 of UK’s final 17 points over the last 6:17 of regulation and overtime. And, shooting into a raucous student section at a revved-up United Supermarkets Arena, Richards buried the game-winning free throws with 10 seconds left to get the last laugh after having fun with the crowd all game.
“It’s just the heat of the moment, I guess,” Richards said. “I noticed every time I came in the game, they booed me. So it was just fun to have the interaction with them going back and forth.”
Richards heard plenty from that crowd when he missed a pair of free throws in the final five minutes as Texas Tech rallied furiously from down double digits. After the second of those two missed – with 28 seconds left in a tie game – Quickley got in Richards ear.
“Immanuel just came over and he helped me through it,” Richards said. “He told me to take my time and just knock it down.”
He made the next one and five more in a row in regulation to seal a huge win.
Perhaps the most unbelievable thing about Richards’ performance was just how believable it really was. With the way his career started, a game such of this would have been unthinkable just a few months ago. But with the way he’s playing now, such a night hardly comes out of nowhere.
“I know my role on this team right now,” Richards said. “Even though I don’t take the most shots on the team, I still know my role on this team: rebound, block shots, get easy baskets when needed, set good screens. I’m very comfortable right now.”
After his huge night in Lubbock, Texas, Richards is now averaging 17.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks over his last eight games starting with the win over Louisville. The player who once had to answer questions about why things weren’t clicking for him is now playing like an All-American.
“For me, everybody has their own story,” Richards said. “Just because I go to a school that’s known for one-and-done doesn’t mean I have to be one-and-done. It took me time to develop. Over the past three years, I’ve had the best time of my life meeting incredible people, having the best coaching staff in the world train me to be the player I am right now and to be the better player I could become.”
And with the trajectory he’s on, there’s no reason to think he can’t be even better.
