Billy Richmond: A Full Breakdown of Kentucky's Latest Commitment
John Calipari got his man on Thursday when four-star small forward Billy Richmond committed to Kentucky. This gives the Wildcats their fifth commitment of the 2024 class.
Richmond joins Five-Star Plus+ center Jayden Quaintance, four-star point guard Boogie Fland, four-star center Somto Cyril, and four-star guard Travis Perry in the class. Kentucky’s class is currently ranked No. 2 in On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings for the 2024 cycle. The Wildcats are still involved with Five-Star Plus+ guard VJ Edgecombe.
Let’s discuss what Kentucky is getting with Billy Richmond.
Who is Billy Richmond
Billy Richmond is a 6-foot-6, 200-pound small forward from Camden (NJ) Camden High. He is the No. 24 ranked player in the 2024 On3 150 and the No. 9 small forward in the 2024 On3 INdustry Ranking. Richmond took official visits to Kentucky, Memphis, LSU, and Alabama. He ultimately chose the Wildcats over Memphis.
Richmond was a high school teammate last season with current Kentucky freshmen DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw at Camden High. His father, also Billy Richmond, played for Kentucky head coach John Calipari at Memphis.
What does he bring to Kentucky?
A connecting forward. Billy Richmond is a competitor, and that shines on the defensive end of the floor. He has the quick feet to guard perimeter-based wings, but he also has the length to slide down and guard bigger players. His defense will get him on the floor early, but he will still need to learn the schemes and angles.
last high school season, Richmond played a complementary role alongside Wagner and Bradshaw. How he made his mark was on the defensive end. He was aggressive in the passing lanes and showed good instincts for the ball. He could quickly turn defense into offense, and get out in the open floor to finish above the rim.
Richmond has great length and carries a very projectable frame. He should be able to add weight quickly and not lose any type of mobility and or explosion.
Offensively, Richmond has an intriguing toolkit. Taking on the alpha role this summer with the New Jersey Scholars program, he showed he could create an advantage off the bounce. He is an aggressive downhill driver and his balance and footwork can allow him to be slippery in traffic.
Richmond is also a quick processor for a wing and is capable of moving the ball in the half-court. He showed interesting pieces this summer as a secondary initiator, a player who can re-set the offense, and make some plays.
For Richmond, the shooting is going to be the swing skill. This summer, he shot 22.2 percent from three and 65.4 percent from the free throw line. The results match the eye test. Richmond’s shot gets flat, and his footwork is oftentimes inconsistent. For Richmond to reach his ceiling, he will need to clean up his mechanics and become a threat with the jump shot.
How does Richmond fit into the lineup?
Looking through John Calipari’s last couple of recruiting classes, he has had success finding the connecting four men. Players like Adou Thiero and Justin Edwards fit into this role as guys who make their marks on the defensive end and move the ball on offense; however, they do not bring the threat of shooting.
Richmond can be an explosive defensive player, able to slide into the three spot in bigger lineups and slide down to the four if they want to play small. Looking through the current 2024 five-man class, Richmond does not bring redundancy with any of the players in the class. And with the general thought of Justin Edwards being a one-and-done player, Richmond could have the opportunity to find minutes in a similar role.
What Richmond Has Said About Kentucky
“It’s kind of like a home environment. I’ve been there a couple of times. I’ve got friends and brothers up there in DJ (Wagner) and Aaron (Bradshaw). They have a great coaching staff.”
“You can’t go wrong with Kentucky. Big Blue is one of the best schools in basketball history, and there’s a great coaching staff there.”