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Nick Richards will declare for the 2020 NBA Draft, according to Adam Zagoria of Zags Blog. The report does not state whether Richards will test the waters or forego his remaining eligibility right away.
This has been the expectation all along, as Richards enjoyed a breakout junior season that now has him in position to be selected in the 2020 draft. This, after the 6-11 Jamaican center wasn’t on anyone’s big board coming into the season, but he slowly developed into one of the best bigs in America while helping Kentucky win the SEC and finish 25-6.
Richards finished the 2019-20 season averaging career highs in points per game (14), rebounds per game (7.8), blocks per game (2.1) and field-goal percentage (.644). His field-goal percentage led the SEC and ranked fourth nationally.
For his efforts, Richards was an All-SEC First Team selection by both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press. He also earned All-SEC Defensive Team honors by league coaches.
The deadline to declare for the NBA Draft is April 21, so we won’t have to wait much longer until there’s an official announcement from Richards, who would join Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley as Wildcats turning pro.
It will be interesting to see if Richards goes ahead and announces he’s not coming back vs. testing the waters like he did last season, leaving open the possibility for a return to UK prior to the June 3rd NCAA-mandated withdrawal deadline.
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