Will Richard emerging as one of UF's top shooters
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators men’s basketball team struggled to find a consistent 3-point shooter throughout the 2021-22 season.
Players like Kowacie Reeves and Myreon Jones were often looked to for buckets beyond the arc, but they couldn’t be counted on each game.
First-year Florida head coach Todd Golden addressed this deficiency in the transfer portal with the addition of Will Richard.
Richard, now a true sophomore after transferring to UF from Belmont, is already turning heads with his shooting ability.
The Peach State native missed some time during the team’s preseason camp with a knee injury.
“It was an awkward fall so not knowing what it was definitely a little worrying but just a sprain,” Richard told Gators Online and others. “Something I can get over, and I’m glad it happened before the season.”
Richard returned to action last week and played in the scrimmage against Miami. Being off the court forced him to focus on his mental approach to the game as his team installed offensive and defensive sets.
“The past few weeks, it’s been mostly mental stuff,” he said. “Just watching film, going over the dummy offense and stuff like that. Just being able to listen to it in practice. I haven’t been able to be on the court much, but just doing all the mental stuff to make sure I’m still locked in.”
Kevin Hovde on Will Richard
Now, he’s back and making his presence felt. UF assistant coach Kevin Hovde revealed that Richard has been one of the best 3-point shooters on the team.
“It’s been great to have him back there,” Hovde said. “I think he has a really good sense of the game or some would say a high basketball IQ. He’s always in the right spot. He’s a great cutter, and he has great timing on his cuts. We noticed when we watched his film at Belmont last year. He’s a great rebounder at his size and has a general knack for the ball.
“We really feel like he’s going to be a great shooter. Last year, his numbers were about 30 percent from three as a freshman. Shot it great early in the year but not as great in conference play. Him and Myreon Jones were the two that separated themselves on our shooting drills. It’s really, really important to have guys that can make shots.”
Richard said he feels that he’s always been a shooter, and that will be a major part of his role with this year’s UF squad. The 6-foot-4, 206-pounder adds that he would “for sure” win a 3-point shooting contest against Jones and his other teammates.
Fellow transfer Alex Fudge agrees.
“Yeah. It’ll be between him, Myreon, Kowacie,” Fudge said, “but I think Will.”
Stay tuned to Gators Online.
