Nick Richards (basketball)


Nicholas Richards is a Jamaican college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference.

High school career

Born and grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, Richards competed in soccer, volleyball and track and field before being discovered by Andre Ricketts, a New York City based basketball scout, in the summer of 2013 during a basketball camp in Jamaica. Ricketts brought him to the US, where Richards attended St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, New York. He transferred to The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey in 2014.
He was ranked a five-star recruit in the class of 2017 and committed to the University of Kentucky in November 2016. He was UK’s first commit in the class of 2017 and chose Kentucky over Syracuse and Arizona.
Richards played in the 2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, pouring in two points, grabbing two rebounds and tallying two blocked shots in 14 minutes of action. Participating in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic, he had ten points and three boards in 16 minutes of play. Richards was picked to play for the World Select Team at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit. He saw 19:29 minutes of action during the game, scoring 12 points and grabbing three rebounds.

College career

Richards had then-career-highs of 25 points and 15 rebounds on November 22, 2017, contributing to the Wildcats' 86-67 win over IPFW. He averaged 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a freshman but saw his playing time decrease as the season went on. Richards posted 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore and led the team in blocks. Following the season he delared for the 2019 NBA draft but opted to return to Kentucky. On November 8, 2019, Richards scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Kentucky defeated Eastern Kentucky 91-49. He had 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks on January 4, 2020, in a 71-59 win over Missouri. Richards had 25 points including the two clinching free throws and 13 rebounds on January 25, in a 76-74 overtime win over Texas Tech. On February 4, Richards set a new career-high with 27 points on an 80-72 win over Mississippi State. At the conclusion of the regular season, Richards was named to the First Team All-SEC. He averaged 14 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Following the season Richards declared for the 2020 NBA draft.

Career statistics

College