Kentucky men’s basketball sophomore forward Nick Richards submitted his name for the 2019 NBA Draft, he announced Monday. Under new NCAA rules, Richards can sign with an NCAA-certified agent, receive feedback and still return to school.
Richards will have until May 29 (10 days after the NBA Draft Combine) to make a final decision as to whether he wishes to remain in the draft or return to Kentucky.
“When I committed to Kentucky, my goals were to achieve two things: I wanted to help bring a championship back to the Big Blue Nation and I wanted to live out a lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” Richards said. “That’s part of what makes Kentucky so special. You have the chance to play on the biggest stage in college basketball and Coach Cal, KP and the staff prepare you for the next level.
“After discussing my options with Coach Cal and my family, I decided to enter my name into the NBA Draft. Using the rules in place, I want to explore every option and see where my game is. I know that my game has grown so much in my time at Kentucky and I want to thank Coach Cal and my teammates for pushing me to be my best every day.
Richards is the fifth underclassman from the 2018-19 Wildcats to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft, which will be held June 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Sophomore forward PJ Washington and freshman guards Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson have all announced they will remain in the draft, ending their collegiate eligibility. Like Richards, freshman forward EJ Montgomery is testing the waters and has declared for the draft but is keeping his options open to possibly return to UK.
Richards has appeared in all 74 games of his two-year career with the Wildcats, making 40 starts. He averages 4.5 points per game, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. His career field-goal percentage is 60.8 percent and he shoots free throws at a 70.4-percent clip. The Kingston, Jamaica, native helped the Wildcats to a Southeastern Conference Tournament title as a freshman and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore.
In 2018-19 he led the team in blocks with 47 and paced the team in that category in 16 games this season, including swatting a career-high five shots in the win over Kansas. He snared a career-high 19 rebounds in a win over Southern Illinois. That mark matched the entire SIU squad’s total for the game and matched Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the most in a game under Calipari. Richards scored 10 points in a win over Winthrop and he had 14 on the road at Vanderbilt.
The 2019 NBA Draft Combine will take place May 15-19 in Chicago, although it hasn’t been determined yet if Richards will participate. The 2019 NBA Draft is June 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
(STORY FROM UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ATHLETICS)