FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It’s been a busy past few days for college basketball players announcing their intentions to enter the NBA Draft and Arkansas sophomore wing Billy Richmond III is now one of them.
“Grateful is an understatement for how far this journey has taken me and the people who’ve poured into me along the way,” Richmond said in his Instagram announcement. “To the Arkansas fan base – thank you for welcoming me with open arms and showing love from day one.
“For accepting me as one of your own. The energy, passion, and support you brought every night never went unnoticed. It truly means more than I can put into words. To my coaches and teammates – thank you for challenging me, pushing me, and helping me grow on and off the court. The lessons, the adversity, and the moments we shared are something I’ll always carry with me.”
Richmond, a native of Memphis, will keep his foot in the door by sharing he will maintain his eligibility as an early entrant for the draft that takes place later this summer.
Athletes have the opportunity to explore their NBA draft by declaring as an “early entry” candidate, and hiring an NCAA-certified agent. Richmond and other college basketball stars looking to scale their draft stock have until midnight Friday, April 24 to decide.
Richmond will have the chance to go through private NBA workouts, train and perform at the NBA Combine which takes place beginning May 10-17 in Chicago.
As a sophomore, Richmond enjoyed a breakout season by doubling his production across the board with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 28 minutes per game.
His relentless energy on dispay every possession of every minute of floor time earned him the name of Billy “GOAT”,because he does all the little things it takes to win.
“They call him Billy Goat,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said after a win over Jackson State in November. “As in G.O.A.T., which I think is great.”
“He’s tough. He’s always on the floor. He’s always making that energetic play. Okay. You know how hard that is? Those other guys are, ‘I can’t do that’ Oh, you can. You just choose not to because you want to be cute and throw bounce passes in between four guys to the big guy or make the hardest play you can make to make it look good.”
Mostly known for his court energy, Richmond became a major factor offensively toward midseason, and it became obvious why the Razorbacks became a factor in the SEC race.
The Razorbacks’ final 16 games saw him ascend from quality rotational piece to a two-way player whose game could easily translate to the NBA.
Richmond displayed a steady three-point shot while becoming a scoring threat, stringing together five consecutive 20-point performances in February.
His midseason surge saw him average 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block per game while making 57% from the field, 27% from three and a team-best 81% at the free throw line.
His usage went up with injuries to Karter Knox and DJ Wagner, and Richmoond became an opportunist because of unfortunate team circumstances.
That late season surge is what gives Richmond a legitimate opportunity to test the NBA Draft process without closing the door on a return to Arkansas.
While his motor and defensive versatility have always been viewed as translatable traits, scouts will be evaluating whether his offensive growth, particularly as a consistent perimeter shooter.
If his improved shot-making ability can hold up throughout the draft process, there’s a chance receives a higher grade than anticipated.
For Arkansas, Richmond’s decision carries plenty of weight when it comes to Calipari’s roster build. Obviously, All-American point guard Darius Acuff won’t return, and Meleek Thomas is testing the waters with a potential return to school.
The beforementioned Wagner (Maryland) and Knox (Louisville) have each transferred out with the combination of Jordan Smith, Jr., JJ Andrews and Abdou Toure set to arrive this summer to prepare for their freshmen seasons, respectively.
If Richmond returns, the Razorbacks bring back a proven two-way contributor and veteran returnee who has plenty of NCAA experience, and is fully capable of impacting the game without needing high usage.
However, if he stays in the draft, it marks another example of Calipari’s ability to develop NBA-ready talent in a short window. Either decision Richmond makes will be the right one based off his growth as a professional prospect in the matter of three months.
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