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After his 13-point, 10-rebound performance in a 78-70 nailbiter this past weekend against that other school in the Bluegrass that doesn’t actually exist, Kentucky center Nick Richards celebrated the best way you can when you beat Louisville; throwing the L’s down.
#BBN #CatBy90 pic.twitter.com/eGOPExC48T
— Big Blue Drew (@BigBlueDrew33) December 28, 2019
This clip is more than just Richards pissing off Cardinal fans and players alike, although him doing that is absolutely hilarious and awesome at the same time.
It’s more about the journey that Richards has been on since arriving in Lexington a couple seasons ago.
He’s gone from what many would call a liability in the Kentucky rotation to the Cats’ most consistent player during his junior season and a legitimate reason Kentucky has found new life heading into the new year following a trio of disappointing defeats to Evansville, Utah and Ohio State with the latter two coming in the same week out in Las Vegas.
Battling foul trouble seemingly all game, including a couple of calls that were about as soft as a roll of Charmin toilet paper, Richards was still on the floor for 75.6 percent of the game (roughly 34 minutes) and registered a game-high plus-minus of +16 to go along with a game-high floor percentage of 69.4, meaning on almost 70 percent of the possessions Richards was on the floor, Kentucky scored at least one point.
Throw in his FDr (fouls drawn rate) of 3.9 — one of three players (Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley) that had a FDr of 3.3+ on Saturday — and Richards was one of three key components in the victory.
Confidence can truly change everything for a player
Now that the Kentucky football season is over, it's officially basketball season and watching Kentucky-Louisville back to close out the year.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
Take a damn bow, Nick Richards ... the featured guy in this thread of (I don't know how many) tweets. pic.twitter.com/Iq8Qz5GBE3
Kentucky was a pinch slow out of the gate on Saturday, but Richards helped get them going a bit early on.
With about 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Ashton Hagans calls for the high ball screen from Richards and showed great patience drawing two defenders in while also finding a tall, tight window where only Richards could catch his pass and score easily at the rim. Richards knew the middle would be completely open, rolling right to the soft spot on the floor. Good, simple basketball from both.
Something that's helped Richards' confidence grow: just being on the floor and growing his basketball IQ.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
Loved the pick-and-post, plus a quick, running baby hook with the left hand. Quick decision-making hasn't always been there, but it is now. pic.twitter.com/EtLqqyr2ij
I liked this possession from Richards a lot because it’s something that we haven’t seen much from him during his two-plus seasons in Lexington. After setting the off-ball screen on the baseline, Richards immediately posted up on the right block and made a quick, decisive decision to get to the middle of the floor and use that length of his for an easy baby hook with the left hand and good touch.
Defense has never been the issue with Richards
Sure, Richards will give up an offensive rebound or two, along with his fair share of games where he’s in foul trouble, but altering and blocking shots has been his best trait and it was on display against the Cards.
Richards only had one registered block on Saturday, but he altered a handful of shots throughout the game without fouling.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
You kinda forget just how massive he is until he shows off the length trying to block shots. pic.twitter.com/OBhJgHpChc
Not only did Richards have to guard way out beyond the 3-point-line, he moved his feet and did a good job trying to block this layup attempt without fouling. When he’s doing this, he’s so hard to score on as a guard.
The one block Richards did have, he gave up an offensive rebound to Malik Williams, but made up for that quickly. Get it outta here. pic.twitter.com/c1UFEkPclh
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
Like I said, Richards will give up offensive rebounds, but it’s not a big deal when he’s doing stuff like this immediately after. I thought he was credited for a block here, but still, he altered another shot at the rim.
"Drive, drive ..." -Bill Raftery as the color man for CBS with Brad Nessler on Saturday for this play.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
Richards cut off the baseline and still contested the right corner 3 from Jordan Nwora. His size makes such a difference when he moves his feet. pic.twitter.com/BjMC4AOr4U
Saturday was easily one of the worst games in Jordan Nwora’s career and this was just a small sample of why he struggled against the Cats. During the CBS broadcast, legendary color commentator Bill Raftery was calling for Nwora to try and take Richards off the dribble , but after Richards cut off the baseline, Nwora settled for a contested 3 that missed.
That's weird.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
Richards definitely had two blocks. This must have been the one that was called a (clear) block in the stat broadcast.
Anyway, he ices the PnR look from UL and swats that mess without much trouble. pic.twitter.com/X89pU1Hrne
Here’s the actual lone block that Richards was credited for on Saturday. He iced the pick-and-roll and just played the drive without any trouble and blocked the layup. (Louisville got the rebound, but they lost the ball out of bounds shortly after.)
Along with his shot alterations, Richards had two key offensive fouls drawn defensively, but this brought one of the best reactions of the day.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
He already had four fouls at this point, so this was a massive gamble, but he moved his feet well and got in position to get the call. pic.twitter.com/wYXdusiihy
Richards did what he usually does in altering shot attempts, but he was credited for taking two charges inside of the final eight minutes with four fouls on him already.
This one was great simply for his reaction after getting the call on Williams. His emotion was one of the smaller, yet deciding factors in the win. He played like a kid that just wanted it more than everybody else on the floor.
Richards sold the contact on Enoch for the second offensive foul, but it was a clear charge when that off-arm got extended with Richards in position. pic.twitter.com/j8WZcVH0tv
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
Steven Enoch was one of the main reasons Louisville got back into the game after Kentucky led by as many as 12 points at one point, but on this possession, Richards got another charge call thanks to a little bit of selling, but good footwork that got him in position to get another big call down the stretch.
#JuniorNickRichards = clutch
The defense usually hasn't been the problem with Richards.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
It's been a lack offensive contributions. He was clutch against the Cards.
The 3-point play not only tied the game, but the emotion from the kid was awesome to see. You could tell how much he wanted this one. pic.twitter.com/QPqWqwImUr
Here’s the wild thing that probably didn’t hit you until after you looked at the box score for a second or maybe even just now: Nick Richards scored 13 points in the win and six of them came in overtime.
The defense usually hasn't been the problem with Richards.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
It's been a lack offensive contributions. He was clutch against the Cards.
The 3-point play not only tied the game, but the emotion from the kid was awesome to see. You could tell how much he wanted this one. pic.twitter.com/QPqWqwImUr
In my opinion, this was the play that saved the day for Kentucky.
With about two minutes left in overtime and Louisville leading by three, Tyrese Maxey (who was downright fantastic in his own right Saturday) forced up a tough shot in the lane with the shot clock winding down, but Richards cleaned up the mess with a huge offensive board and just got the roll on the putback for a three-point play opportunity, which he converted.
(“They’re not losing this game,” I said to myself after Richards made the free throw.)
Richards had three huge offensive plays in OT, including this one.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
Loved the screener action from the 'Cats here with Montgomery and Maxey, who freed up Richards for an easy two at the rim. Great action from UK in the half-court here to give them the lead again. pic.twitter.com/NupehVa11V
For a team that supposedly doesn’t run much, according to Louisville coach Chris Mack, this was a well-run set from the ‘Cats in the half-court with less than 90 seconds left in overtime.
Maxey dishes off to Hagans and sprints down the sideline off a (show of a) screen from EJ Montgomery, then screens Richards’ man in the lane to allow Richards an easy post-and-curl look at the rim for two.
Richards almost lost the ball here, but Kentucky has always loved this action off the wings with the big popping out, handoff, screen, drive, throwback lob to the rolling big.
— Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) December 31, 2019
Two massive freebies from Richards off the foul call, a miss on the other end ... basically game over. pic.twitter.com/ELXJ6FWrO1
You’ve seen this look hundreds and hundreds of times from Calipari’s teams. They look for this throwback lob often with their bigs frequently and inside of the last 40 seconds, Maxey looked to Richards for the alley, who almost lost the ball somehow before the screen, and Richards was fouled on the catch attempt. He made both free throws and put Kentucky in front for good.
Kentucky turned their season around just at about this time a season ago and it appears, at least from Saturday, they’re prime to do it again this season. It’s not a certainty because consistency has been an issue with this team, but if this is the Nick Richards they’re getting for the homestretch of the year, the Cats should be in good shape moving forward.