Film Room: Billy Richmond

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Just a few months ago the Kentucky Wildcats only had one commitment in the Class of 2024. Big Blue Nation, as only they would, was getting anxious for some good news on the recruiting front. Duke had already built a historically strong number one class. Southeastern Conference rival Missouri had made waves landing by far their best class in school history. However, the ‘Cats only had four-star Somto Cyril locked in for next season. That has all changed in a hurry. Five-star point guard Boogie Fland pledged to Kentucky on October, 20th. Then, Travis Perry announced his surprise commitment on November 12th followed by Jayden Quaintance less than 48 hours later. Finally, four-star small forward Billy Richmond joined the party with his commitment on Thursday afternoon.

While the Blue Devils still boast the top class in 2024, the Wildcats have certainly built the de facto number two class. With five players already set to come to Lexington Coach Calipari and company can now spend the rest of the recruiting cycle going all-in and specific targets while also working ahead in 2025 and 2026. This is a great position to be in heading into the new year.

As always, we’ve been hard at work in the KSR Film Room breaking down Billy Richmond’s game. The 6’6″ athletic, lefty wing checks in at #21 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He is one of the best defenders in the Class of 2024, is an excellent left-handed driver and slasher offensively, and will immediately be a weapon in transition. Let’s dive on in and take a closer look at what Kentucky is getting in their most recent prized recruit.

Athletic Driving Ability

Admittedly, Billy Richmond has not shot a high percentage from three-point range in his career. He isn’t a complete non-shooter, but his bread will be buttered as a driver. However, you don’t average 18 points per game on the EYBL Circuit and 13.8 points per game at the Peach Jam without having some legitimate offensive talent. His ability to consistently drive it with both hands makes him very hard to handle on the perimeter. Then, when you pair his ball skill with elite athleticism and physical tools, you get a pretty special perimeter talent. Richmond will be able to serve as a secondary playmaker in the half court and is excellent when able to explode downhill to the rim. Let’s take a look.

Look at how ready Billy Richmond is to get the ball back and drive it here. You can almost see him envisioning the dunk he is about to deliver as he catches the ball. At 6’6″ he has the size and length on the perimeter, paired with some real explosiveness, to make defenders pay for lazy footwork. He is going to attack closeouts and drive from the wings at a high level.

One of the most impressive parts about Richmond’s game is how he seems equally comfortable driving and finishing with either hand. We just saw him explode from the wing driving it left for a slam. Now, here, you see him come off of the little get action, hit a nice inside-out dribble, and lay it in with his right hand. We love seeing clips like this where it is directly transferable to the next level. You can expect to see Richmond playing off of zoom/get action like this at Kentucky as a freshman.

In the first clip we showed Billy Richmond attack towards the baseline with his left hand. In this clip, the four-star wing drives it to the middle of the floor with his right hand and finishes with an athletic floater. Being able to finish at this high of a level with both hands around the basket will be huge for Richmond at the collegiate level.

Richmond handles the ball well enough to be a legitimate playmaking option in the half court. Here you see him play off of a high ballscreen and make a nice, clean spin move to finish at the rim with his left hand. He is very smooth and agile when operating with the ball in his hands.

Impactful Defensive Presence

Possibly the most transferrable skill from day one for Billy Richmond will be his defense. The 6’6″ athletic wing is excellent on the ball, disruptive in the passing lanes, and is a legitimate rim protector from the perimeter. He will be very switchable and can make some truly highlight-worthy plays off of the ball. There will be some chase down blocks that we haven’t seen in quite some time at Kentucky. Here are some clips that showcase just how disruptive of a defensive presence Richmond can be in Lexington.

Length on the perimeter is a valuable trait. Whatever Richmond’s wing span is, it certainly seems longer than his 6’6″ height. Here you see him poke the ball away from the ball handler and then throw it down on the other end. You are going to get steals and blocked shots at a pretty high rate when Richmond is on the floor.

Speaking of blocks, you simply can’t teach this level of athleticism. Richmond hadn’t fully left the floor yet as the offensive player reached the pinnacle of his jump. However, Richmond gets the block. There aren’t many non-big men who average over one block per game, but Kentucky’s most recent commitment could approach that number.

You would rather not get beat off of the dribble, but if it is going to happen it sure is nice to have this level of closing speed and athleticism. Richmond gets himself back in the play despite getting beat at the point of the ballscreen and records a crazy chase down block. Offensive players are never safe to comfortably finish at the rim when Billy Richmond is on the floor.

Major Threat in Transition

You aren’t likely to get 50 made three-pointers from freshman Billy Richmond. He is going to be a role player, potentially off of the bench, providing athleticism, defense, and secondary playmaking. However, he also fits the faster pace style you’ll likely see with Boogie Fland and Reed Sheppard manning the ball handling duties. Richmond is an absolute menace in transition. He can handle the ball and create for himself on the throw head or run the floor for an alley-oop slam. His size, skill, and athleticism translate perfectly to an up-tempo style and he will thrive in transition for the Wildcats.

First off you get a nice defensive play here from Billy Richmond to help create the turnover. Then, he races the ball up the floor, hits a nice euro-step, and finishes with his right hand. Again, his ability to finish with both hands consistently at the rim is really impressive. You’ll be seeing a lot of this in Lexington next season.

Billy Richmond is in the mold of some of the best athletes to play for Coach Calipari at Kentucky. He is a high-flyer in transition and will routinely play above the rim on both ends of the floor. If you are looking to play a fun brand of basketball Richmond will certainly contribute to that.

The smoothness with which Billy Richmond operates in the open floor is fun to watch. He looks really comfortable handling the ball, has explosiveness around the rim, and can finish equally well with his left or right hand. For comparison, he is more advanced than Justin Edwards in transition because he is such a better ball handler.