NICK RICHARDS officially back (per his IG)
- Thread starter tjay11
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I like it.
Now get a reclass from Todd and we're set.
Now get a reclass from Todd and we're set.
Yup. I don't think Cal will go into the season with only two guys over 6'8 on the roster.
The only question is who else will be here?
Lots of opinions about Nick in this thread. Some have more credibility than others.
Here's my favorite: "I’m excited to continue to coach Nick because I know how special he can be. I’ve told him, ‘If you come back, I’m expecting you to be one of the best big men in the country.’ There is no reason he can’t be. There is nothing that Nick hasn’t seen at this point, and he knows what my expectations are for him in his junior season. I want him to dominate the game and affect it on every single possession." John Calipari
Here's my favorite: "I’m excited to continue to coach Nick because I know how special he can be. I’ve told him, ‘If you come back, I’m expecting you to be one of the best big men in the country.’ There is no reason he can’t be. There is nothing that Nick hasn’t seen at this point, and he knows what my expectations are for him in his junior season. I want him to dominate the game and affect it on every single possession." John Calipari
I’m not saying he can’t. But he is soft and he doesn’t play well against physical play. Hopefully it changes because right now we need Richards to be the guy advertised.
No. I am using 17 games that he has played 20+ minutes per game to show you that when he plays more, he does not demonstrate a propensity to foul more, as you are trying to state. I have said he gets in foul trouble when he is pulled in an out continually and not given the chance to get established in the game. That is literally what the stats you keep referencing prove.
Umm, he is avg 2.1 for 14.7 minutes played. If he played 44 minutes that would only be 6.3 fouls. He is actually avg like 5.8 fouls per 40. While that can improve, do you honestly think Nick playes 35 - 40 mpg? Who was the last big we had to play that much?
I don’t think that’s some proclamation of authority. It’s a coach that needs Richards to play at the level he was recruited for.
What are Nicks stats vs. the top 50? I’m not going to look but maybe you will.
No one is idiotic for stating the obvious.
I’m glad he’s back because we need him but we also need him to be far more than he’s been.
Please provide evidence to support that he is fouls prone when he plays more. I'll be waiting. Please provide evidence to support that getting yanked in and out does not in fact cause his increase in fouls.
Could you also please demonstrate the math that supports he avg 7 fouls per 40 mpg?
He literally avg the same amount of fouls while playing 2.6 mpg more per game this year than last. Yet, you still believe if he plays more he will be more foul prone.
His career minutes is 13.4 with 2.1 fouls. Comes out to 6.3 fouls per forty minutes of play. That’s not good. You’re taking everything so literally again. Where have I said he’d play forty minutes? The per forty number is just a common statistic to evaluate one’s propensity to foul.
6 of those 17 games were against mid majors or were part of a blowout. In the other 11 games against quality competition, he had 3 or more fouls 5 times. Four out of those 5 times he had 4 fouls or he fouled out. So when playing against quality competition, he fouls out or nearly fouls out when he plays 20+ minutes.
Richards has to consistently play 20+ minutes a game against quality competition next year. Cal doesn’t have the luxury to just pull him if he’s making mistakes. Again, he is in severe foul trouble nearly 50% of the time when he plays against quality competition when playing 20+ minutes. You mean to tell me that isn’t something he needs to improve upon? Are you serious?
Please provide evidence to support that he is fouls prone when he plays more. I'll be waiting. Please provide evidence to support that getting yanked in and out does not in fact cause his increase in fouls.
Could you also please demonstrate the math that supports he avg 7 fouls per 40 mpg?
He literally avg the same amount of fouls while playing 2.6 mpg more per game this year than last. Yet, you still believe if he plays more he will be more foul prone.
Check out my next reply
Saying, "I know how special he can be...I expect you to be one of the best big men in the country..." is authoritative. Cal's an optimist. Of course he isn't going to be critical. But he's not going to say Richards has the potential to be one of the best big men in the country if that's an impossible stretch. I can't think of an example when Cal said something that had no chance to come true.
Cal is always coaching but I think he really does see great potential in Nick. Very good athlete with good touch for a guy his size. I'm glad to have him back and look forward to seeing him progress.
Forget it, Con. He's just here to argue and stir guys up; he couldn't care less about UK. Pretty soon he'll start dissing Kentuckians for having a poor education. He's a troll.Check out my next reply
I like having Richards back. I think he’ll be a good piece on next year’s team—especially if he cleans up the fouls a little bit. My argument probably comes across as slandering him but I don’t mean to.
You’re right, though. Not quite sure I’ve engaged so much. With some people you just can’t win no matter the facts.
Nick can be great!
He's foul prone, and he needs to get better at that.
But you see flashes (not just once or twice either) that shows that with any consistency he can take over the game.
First, he needs to eliminate being foul prone.
After that, he just needs polish. His PER was actually really good and so was his +/-. The dude just can't stop fouling.
He's foul prone, and he needs to get better at that.
But you see flashes (not just once or twice either) that shows that with any consistency he can take over the game.
First, he needs to eliminate being foul prone.
After that, he just needs polish. His PER was actually really good and so was his +/-. The dude just can't stop fouling.
I agree; Nick has only played organized bb for a few years, so he's still in a learning curve. Then you factor in that bigs take longer to develop and it makes sense that he makes mistakes. But he does have lots of upside. I'd love it if he makes big improvement this coming season!
It isn’t that Nick fouls less when he plays more. It’s that he is able to play more when he fouls less. Would take someone pretty simple-minded to confuse the issue.
Nick could find himself in a position next year where Cal has no other option than to leave him in and let him play through his mistakes. Could be very good for his game.
Also not sure if its sad or comical that we're in an age where a guy like Nick waits till the last second to announce he's coming back. I know that sounds harsh, but the kid has not shown he's NBA ready or even the potential they look for in his two years thus far at Kentucky.
Also not sure if its sad or comical that we're in an age where a guy like Nick waits till the last second to announce he's coming back. I know that sounds harsh, but the kid has not shown he's NBA ready or even the potential they look for in his two years thus far at Kentucky.
Um, it's actually great.
Not sure why some of you don't get it. I was surprised last year when he didn't do the same thing.
They all should test the water because that allows them to really work on the game with professional level.
Being challenged at the professional level is most likely better than just practicing at UK (during summer).
Lol, that would be if he played 41.2 MPG. This why you can't just multiply everything by 3 to get his per 40. You are also failing to mention that even though his MPG increased by 2.6 this year, as did his production, his foul rate stayed identical. That literally goes against your argument of his fouls increasing per 40. How do you not get this? You are literally proving it to yourself. Now we have gone from 7 fouls per 40, to 6.3 and now you have to lower it again. That is usually a good indicator you have no idea what you are talking about.
You also can't really evaluate fouls per game on a per 40 accurately. Players tend to adjust and play less physical and less intense as they number of fouls increases. Again, how does an alleged astute basketball mind such as yours not get this?
1 of those 6 was against Wofford, you can call them a mid-major to help minimize and fit your narrative, but the fact of the matter is they were a top 25 team this year. Very legit competition.
His freshman year against p5 opponents playing 20 + mpg, he had 5 fouls against SC in 23 min. and 4 against WVU in 20, 2 against UF in 20 min, 3 against Bama in 21, 1 against UT in 26 minutes, 0 against UF in 20 min, 0 against UT in 24 minutes, 1 against UCLA in 26 minutes, 2 against VT in 22 min. Those are all the power 5 teams he played 20+ min against that year. Looks like he did pretty good overall to me. Fouled out 1 time and was in foul trouble 1 other. So out of 9 games against P5 playing 20+ he had 2 bad ones. Ohh the humanity..
Sophomore year, against Wofford he had 2 in 25 minutes. Against UT and ARK he played 25 and 26 respectively and had 4 in each. Against AU he played 20 and had 2. Against Vandy he had 3. So in 2 games against P5 he had issues. In the other 2 and against Wofford he was in good shape. Again, that doesn't scream awful.
He can improve on every aspect of his game, that still does not mean he is more foul prone the more minutes he gets. You have literally proven that already like 5 times.
We didn't really have the luxury of pulling him his Freshman year but Cal did it anyway. If he has issues, Cal will pull him regardless it seems.
Or, could it be that when he is allowed to actually play and get established in a game without being yanked, he gets comfortable enough with flow to not foul as much?
What am I wrong about? Maybe you could provide some factual evidence to support?
I’m going to go ahead and laugh away the fact that you believe 2.6 MPG is a significant enough increase to deduce anything from. Again, I said the per 40 minutes is used to duduce one’s propensity to foul. The higher the number, the more likely the chance they’ll foul more than average. Its not a guarantee that particular player will get in foul trouble, It’s not the deciding factor, but it’s important.
So to conclude, you don’t believe his propensity to foul is an issue that needs to be improved upon? You can cherry pick stats all you want. If that’s what you truly believe, then that’s all I need to know. The stats disagree with you, and the VAST MAJORITY of people who have posted on this thread disagree with you as well. But please, keep standing on this stupid ass hill you choose to die on. Nick Richard’s fouling is a COMPLETE non-issue. Got it. Totally nailed it. I can’t beat this dead horse of facts any longer. Have a good one.
Also, the 6.3 number totals out to 40.2 minutes per game. Not 41.2. You see, there’s this thing math people like to do when not writing a scientific paper or dealing with in depth science called “rounding”.
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I’ve been attempting to get through to him. Nothing seems to work. I did my best. His take on the situation is just something I couldn’t comprehend apparently. /s
If he can stay on his feet and not bite on every block attempt, he will play a lot and foul less.
Really I’m not trying to split hairs or argue coach speak but, Cal also said Pj could be the best player in the country inside of the same year as Zion Williamson,Ja Morant, and RJ Barrett. I don’t believe Cal actually believed that.
You’re right that Cal isn’t on the extreme side of this spectrum as certain coaches are, but he will absolutely exaggerate. I don’t believe Cal thinks Richards can be a top 3-5 big man in the country. I do believe Richards can play better than we’ve yet to see, I just don’t want to have to rely on those odds.
Again he lacks a motor and for him to change he better find the motor first. The SEC will be physical this season and he needs to learn how to play through it. So far he can’t.
Yea Richards is actually doing what a lot of these kids should do. Don’t chase money, live. There would only be a very small amount of cases where they injure themselves and lose it anyway, if any really. Live your life and be a kid as long as you can.
Even guys like Lebron, they might have money, but they can never have those years. Can’t buy it.
No kidding!! Who else feels like Ralph Sampson just committed to UK? I mean, it’s not that much of stretch, is it? LOL
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Well, yea. 2.6 minutes would be an increase of 20%+ pt. I would think someone who is as foul prone as you like to believe would see an increase. Why would you not? It should obviously increase accordingly to his avg, should it not? So again, why did it not?
No, you tried to say per 40 while actually giving us his over 40 mpg because you evidently did not know how to break it down into an actual per 40.
But his number doesn't go higher when he plays more. There are 17 games of 20+ to show this to be fact. Not to mention the games where he still plays more than his avg and still doesn't avg that high. The evidence proves that the games he plays less and gets pulled in and out the most are the games he fouls the most. Which corresponds to what I have said about him needing to be established within the flow of the game to be at his best.
He can definitely improve his fouls and every other aspect of his game, but I, and the stats, support that he is not more foul prone the more minutes he plays as you have stated. Which is why you literally can provide no evidence to support it. You've taken a generalized statistic to represent your belief without breaking down what those numbers are actually telling you.
What have I cherry picked? I think you may want to look up what that term means.
Can't beat it with facts? You have yet to provide any. You literally tried to break down a per 40 that equated to over 40 mpg. That is not a fact! That is just poor arithmetic.
Vast majority? There have been like 5 people comment on it. I don't subscribe to the grouthink mentality that exist on this board, so having people disagree with me really isn't an issue at all. I don't rely on certain posters here for my source of protein like others who latch on so tightly. I also seem to have a fair share of likes to post, so I think I am doing okay.
Why would you need to round it? Are you not able to break it down into actual numbers?
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Whatever dude people have killed him on here for two years now that he’s coming back everyone wants to pretend he’s gonna be Hakeem the dream. Everyone’s great in the offseason
