I know we're waiting on Mohamed Bamba but I think we should take this kid now if he wants to commit this weekend.
Nick Richards New mixtape
- Thread starter SmoothRunner32
- Start date
I had thought that he is similar to Dakari, but after watching that, he's way more athletic.
I love players who try to dunk everything and his head is up by the rim on many of those...
He's a take for sure!!
I love players who try to dunk everything and his head is up by the rim on many of those...
He's a take for sure!!
It would be nice to have Richards, Washington and Waters signed this fall. I think Petty is a possibility too.
I just love that he's a big, with the ability/tools to expand and face up, but he knows where he's dominant and effective. There's such a role for that from a guy with his athleticism.
If Richards doesn't come to Kentucky I will be shocked. I think we sign Petty and Richards and Washington early.
But the reason you sign Richards now and wait for Bamba is the whole Bolden Fiasco we had last year. Jarrett Allen should be on this team.
But the reason you sign Richards now and wait for Bamba is the whole Bolden Fiasco we had last year. Jarrett Allen should be on this team.
Agree with this 100%. Get these guys early, then work hard to add guys like Bamba, Knox, Young in the Spring to top off the class.
I love Richards potential. I see him as a WCS type 2-3 year guy who is going to be huge contributor going forward.
He reminds me of willie but a little thicker in his base and more natural basketball player. Idk if any if you know this but willies first sport was football 
Can someone provide the latest crystal ball predictions for the top players please. I wanna see who we won't get.
Its amazing how far we have come in the recruiting world, since Tubby and BCG. There was a time when player chose to attend a prep school over Kentucky, now there is the question if we accept a player like Richards commitment. I agree with you, I'd take Richards anytime he's ready. I'd love to have him.
KU leads for all of the top 25. We'll just pick up a few leftovers.
If he has half the athleticism that Wilcox had, you take him. That dude was a freak.
But yeah! I really like what I see from Richards. Would love to see the staff get him to commit so I can watch him develop.
Looks pretty darn good to me. Once he gets stronger, he'll be a tough one to handle. Seems to have good footwork and goes strong with everything.
I'll get my chops busted for this but at 6'11" 250 he looks like a faster more fit Cousins.
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Here's the problem I see:
Nick Richards is a center
Mohamed Bamba is a center
Isaac Humphries is a center
Tai Wynyard is (if he proves able to do anything in college) most likely a center
SKJ is undetermined, but I'd lean towards center.
You can try and play Richards and Bamba together, and yeah, you'll own the lane (especially on D). But can either one of those guys guard someone out to the 3 point line (like an AD or WCS)? Can either one hit a shot from more than 5 feet out? Can either one put the ball on the floor and beat a guy off the dribble (like a Terrence Jones or Julius Randle)? Can either one make decent passes, and keep the ball moving (Like a KAT)? And all of that not in HS highlight tapes, but in actual D1 basketball.
And as for the guy who thinks Richards is a "2 or 3 year player", that's laughable. There's no chance at all that any borderline Top 10 recruit thinks of himself that way.
I guess you have to take Richards if you're unsure of Bamba, and if Richards wants to commit, but I don't think it's ideal. I honestly don't want a team that's "bigger than any team in the word except the Portland Trailblazers", or whatever. Cal's had his best teams, with the exception of 14-15 (which had KAT and Lyles, both exceptionally skilled for their size) with more versatile frontcourts. AD, Jones, MKG, Darius Miller. Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier, Chris Douglas Roberts. Marcus Camby, Dana Dingle, Donta Bright.
Nick Richards is a center
Mohamed Bamba is a center
Isaac Humphries is a center
Tai Wynyard is (if he proves able to do anything in college) most likely a center
SKJ is undetermined, but I'd lean towards center.
You can try and play Richards and Bamba together, and yeah, you'll own the lane (especially on D). But can either one of those guys guard someone out to the 3 point line (like an AD or WCS)? Can either one hit a shot from more than 5 feet out? Can either one put the ball on the floor and beat a guy off the dribble (like a Terrence Jones or Julius Randle)? Can either one make decent passes, and keep the ball moving (Like a KAT)? And all of that not in HS highlight tapes, but in actual D1 basketball.
And as for the guy who thinks Richards is a "2 or 3 year player", that's laughable. There's no chance at all that any borderline Top 10 recruit thinks of himself that way.
I guess you have to take Richards if you're unsure of Bamba, and if Richards wants to commit, but I don't think it's ideal. I honestly don't want a team that's "bigger than any team in the word except the Portland Trailblazers", or whatever. Cal's had his best teams, with the exception of 14-15 (which had KAT and Lyles, both exceptionally skilled for their size) with more versatile frontcourts. AD, Jones, MKG, Darius Miller. Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier, Chris Douglas Roberts. Marcus Camby, Dana Dingle, Donta Bright.
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I want some of what you are smoking. Richards is a good prospect but Cousins is in the conversation for best center in the NBA.
Would you rather have Noel and WCS and that's it? Oh wait, what if it was Noel and WCS and let's hypothetically say one goes down mid season with a major injury. Maybe we would only make the NIT?
On another note, WCS and Davis were rare talents that don't come around every year although I do see what you mean though!
UK didn't only make the NIT because of that. UK only made the NIT because UK had no real PG, and because the forwards on that team did squat after Noel went down.
And how often did Noel and WCS play together, BTW? Oh, that's right-almost never. How often did WCS and Dakari Johnson play together? Again, rarely. How often did DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton play together? You might be able to count the total minutes of that with your fingers and toes.
You know why? Because it's really, really difficult to shoehorn 2 centers into the same lineup. It might work if one of them is Karl Towns, but if not, it almost never does. Which is why I don't think it's ideal to take multiple guys who are pretty clearly 5's and just call some of them 4's. I've seen far, far, far more success playing guys up a position (UK's small lineup in 85-86, Pitino's generally smaller lineups his entire time at UK, Tayshaun playing the 4 in 00-01, Erik Daniels playing the 5 in 03-04, Chuck Hayes's entire career at UK as a 6'5" power forward, Anthony Davis as a center, Terrence Jones as a 4, not the 3 that a lot of people projected when he came out of HS, Karl Towns as a center, not a forward) than playing guys down a position.
Positionless basketball, yada yada yada, but you still need guys with certain kinds of skills if you want to have any kind of cohesive team.
Cal will take Richard's commitment if the kid decides on Kentucky. You can't just say no to a kid that big and talented. I know Cal wants Bamba and we need Bamba on next year's roster, but after Bolden to Duke, i don't think Cal allows another talented big to go elsewhere while really wanting Kentucky. In most years this kid would be the best recruit of the class and automatic starter, but with Cal in recruiting, this isn't that year. Not to say the kid isn't talented enough to start as a freshman at Kentucky. I do believe he would do well as a starter for Kentucky his freshman year.
If we added Richards and Bamba the only pure centers we would have IF Humphries comes back would be him and Richards. SKJ is pure PF and Bamba is like AD and a pro PF and Tai is a bit of both. WE must sign 2 bigs this year minimum and if you consider Washington a big then we will sign 3 most likely. If I was to guess our roster next season it would look like this .
PG- Young/Waters
SG- Walker/ Petty or Diallo
SF- Knox/Washington
PF- Bamba / SKJ/Tai
C- Humphries/Richards
PG- Young/Waters
SG- Walker/ Petty or Diallo
SF- Knox/Washington
PF- Bamba / SKJ/Tai
C- Humphries/Richards
Bamba is absolutely nothing like AD in terms of skills. He didn't spend his time playing guard until he was 17. And even if he was like AD, what position did AD play at UK? And do you think that the 11-12 team would have been as good if, theoretically, AD had played forward next to a "true" center? Hell, let's even say DeMarcus Cousins.
I don't.
I think he and Bamba are both most effective at the 5, but I still want them both.
If Richards plays reserve minutes as a freshman and then dominates as a sophomore or gets drafted in the 20s based on his 8 minutes a game, that's still better than we'd have been with him playing for someone else.
With as many guys as we'll need, you take all of the elite ones willing to come. Obviously you hold him off if it's an issue with landing Bamba, but sell them on position less basketball if you can and figure the rest out later. Injuries, foul trouble, situational lineups--give me the best guys and make it work. Would have loved an extra PG in 2013 or an extra big recruit last year.
If Richards plays reserve minutes as a freshman and then dominates as a sophomore or gets drafted in the 20s based on his 8 minutes a game, that's still better than we'd have been with him playing for someone else.
With as many guys as we'll need, you take all of the elite ones willing to come. Obviously you hold him off if it's an issue with landing Bamba, but sell them on position less basketball if you can and figure the rest out later. Injuries, foul trouble, situational lineups--give me the best guys and make it work. Would have loved an extra PG in 2013 or an extra big recruit last year.
After finally making time to watch the video, the one awesome part about this kid's game is the fact he understands the fact he is a big dude and plays like it near the basket. I don't know how many big guys will get the ball near the basket and instead of going up strong with a dunk, they try to get cute and use a guards move laying it up. This kid gets the ball and looks to dunk the ball as soon as possible. That is refreshing to see from a young player. If you're 6'11 or bigger it's not a bad thing if you're not Durant on the floor and instead you're Shawn Kemp. Not to say this kid is as talented and has the hops Kemp once had. Kemp was a bad man in the league for a long time. I'm glad to see a big man that wants to actually play like a big man. If you can score inside at a high rate, while it's nice to work on your shooting, it's not as needed if you're a post player. It looks like the kid also has a nice frame and will be able to add weight and muscle. I know Cal said the kid reminds him of Davis, but let's not expect the kid to control the game like Davis at Kentucky. It's rare you find a kid that can control the entire game while not needin to score a basket or even touch the ball.
I think it would behoove many to know that Bamba's value will come from running the floor, defense, rebounding, and talking (very important) on the court. He has the potential to be a great player, but these are the main skills that he will bring to the table his year in school.
I kinda feel like a 7'9" wingspan would be utterly wasted if he wasn't protecting the post on defense and putting back dunks on offense.
I would never use Dakari Johnson in the same conversation as Bamba or RIchards. There is absolutely zero comparison. Johnson was as quick and mobile as frozen syrup & jumped about as well. Bamba & Richards are much more mobile and can block shots above the rim. Hopefully, they have much better hands than Johnson as well. If they can catch a pass the will have numerous dunks.
Take him. If he can consistently knock down that baby hook over the left shoulder, could be very hard to stop.