On November 10, 2016, Nick Richards committed to play basketball at the University of Kentucky. At that time, he was ranked in the top 20 of the ESPN 100 as a five-star recruit, just four years after he started playing basketball.
Today, Richards announced that he would forego his remaining eligibility and stay in the 2020 NBA Draft, whenever it might occur. But, when it does occur and Richards’ name is announced, I can assure you he will get one huge hug from John Calipari and many Kentucky fans across the country will shed a tear because we all know what he’s been through.
The road he took from the day he committed to draft day is not one many players are willing to take.
Nick Richards was discovered by Andre Rickett, a New York City basketball scout, in Jamaica in the summer of 2013. That’s where it began.
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The Jamaican stud visited Lexington on September 30 and committed to play for John Calipari not even two months later. Richards only held offers from two other schools, Arizona and Syracuse.
Many of us first saw Richards play at the 2017 McDonald’s All-American Game at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. He recorded two points, two rebounds, and two blocked shots in 14 minutes of action. A stat-line that would sadly become consistent in his first two years as a Wildcat.
He would go on to play in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic and would later be selected to the World Team in the 2017 Nike Hoops Summit before beginning his freshman year under John Calipari.
His freshman year was full of disappointment. Yes, nearly that entire roster was, as the Cats never really lived up to their potential, getting bounced in the Sweet 16 by Kansas State, but it was really a painful first year for Richards.
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In 37 games played, Richards totaled 15 minutes per game, averaging only 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 blocked shot.
Freshman Nick Richards will be remembered more for his poorly-timed blocked shot attempts, missed dunks, dropped balls, and ability to always looked lost on the court.
My dad would always say at least once during games, “someone needs to stop giving Nick Richards buttered popcorn before games.”
Honestly, you would think there was nowhere to go but up. We all thought he would have a breakout sophomore year, at least I did, and that he would be departing Lexington after two years of college play. Boy was we wrong. Things got a lot worse.
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In his sophomore year, Richards saw drops in all of his per-game averages, except blocks. The good thing was Kentucky didn’t really need him because of guys like P.J. Washington and Reid Travis. Could you imagine if both P.J. and Nick made that jump? Kentucky would’ve coasted to a ninth national title.
Instead, Richards sat the bench most of the NCAA Tournament, playing not even a minute in Kentucky’s Elite Eight loss to Auburn, and making for a very disappointing sophomore campaign.
Yes, the “buttered popcorn” joke was uttered by my father many times that year.
I hate to say it, but I, along with many others, had given up on Nick Richards and turned our heads toward E.J. Montgomery. Yes, the one player left to announce his NBA decision.
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We were all looking for him to make that P.J. Washington-like jump from his freshman to sophomore year. Well, that didn’t happen. Instead, the improvement we hoped to see in Nick Richards the previous year came a year later.
Richards’ numbers improved immensely. In 31 games this year, Richards averaged 30 MPG, 14 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and shot 75-percent from the free throw line.
I guess someone finally took the butter off the popcorn.
Sadly, Kentucky’s season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ending, as of now, six Kentucky careers early. Who knows if the Cats would’ve been cutting down the nets in Atlanta. But, watching guys improve like Immanuel Quickley and Nick Richards was good enough for me.
As I said above, the path Richards took to staying in the NBA Draft isn’t one many players are willing to take.
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After Richards had the best game of his UK career against Texas Tech, he told the media that it’s okay to not be a one-and-done:
This is a great comment from Nick Richards about his development.
"Just because I go to a school known for one and dones, doesn't mean I have to be one and done." pic.twitter.com/27AxnnAIF0— Lee K. Howard (@HowardWKYT) January 26, 2020
We don’t know when the NBA Draft will take place or when Richards will be drafted. But, when he is, it will be a very special occasion.
Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, at times making plays above his experience level on the court, and other times, causing unfortunate turnovers and making Big Blue Nation yell “pass the ball” when he attempted to show off his handles.
However, since the offseason has began, we’ve seen the backup big man from last year’s squad take major jumps in not only his skill set, but in his mentality and leadership as well.
“BG” announced that he was coming back to Kentucky on April 12 for the 2025-26 season, and since then, has been the talk of the town to be the starting center for Mark Pope’s second-year team.
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Last season, Garrison played behind Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night.
Having played a year already in Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the starting role over one of the transfer pickups, especially since Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly vocal about his development. With young players such as Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno coming in behind Garrison, you can guarantee he will play a major role in their development.
In an offseason press conference, Pope said that Garrison has already taken on more of a mentorship role heading into next season.
“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him,” Pope said. “He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”
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Pope added on that Garrison went out of his way to have breakfast and talk to four of the incoming transfers, on their official visits, about Kentucky and the way the staff does things.
“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just, like he is growing up, man,” Pope said in an interview with KSR on May 22. “It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach. He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”
As the season inches closer, we’ll learn more about Garrison’s impact on the court and if he’ll be the day one starter, but regardless, off the court, you can bet he has some wisdom to pass down.
The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.
For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.
As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring.
After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.
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The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals.
At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.
Cason Wallace
Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.
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In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards.
The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game.
Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.
Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.
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In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.
Isaiah Jackson
The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.
Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
While just about everything Mark Pope said at his introductory press conference went viral in one way or another, that aforementioned declaration stood out amongst his crowd of quotes like no other to a fanbase more than a decade removed from a national championship.
To the big blue nation, Coach Pope’s words last spring were a much needed battle cry. Now, as he’s set to enter his second year at the helm, Pope has made sure the team he assembled for the 2025-26 season shares the same hunger.
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It begins on a basic level, with players across the board throwing the number “9” around on social media in posts, replies, and commitments. Much like the Kentucky faithful, the newest roster to roll through Lexington isn’t afraid to make reference to the top task at hand.
For (likely) starting point guard Jaland Lowe, it’s an opportunity he “can’t miss.” “See y’all soon #BBN,” he said in a post on X, announcing his return to the collegiate level. Lowe chose a junior season at Kentucky over a chance to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Otega Oweh, the now-projected SEC player of the year, would follow suit shortly thereafter.
The Ultimate Goal
Andrija Jelavic, a primary member of the incoming unit, as well as the team’s lone international player, dubbed the title chase as “the ultimate goal” in his interview with KY Insider. “We all [the team] agree that the ultimate goal is the same and that is to bring a championship to Kentucky, to the state and the fans,” he said.
To Jelavic, it goes further than hunger. It’s a responsibility.
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And that responsibility is what sets Kentucky apart from other programs. As awkward as the conversation around John Calipari can get, when push comes to shove, much of the dissatisfaction growing within the fanbase as his tenure came to a close was rooted in the coach’s apparent disinterest in winning another championship.
Year after year went by; top-ranked roster after top ranked roster. After a while, it seemed that Kentucky was more often mentioned in the first round of the NBA Draft than it was in the NCAA Tournament. The problem persisted, the tension festered and, ultimately, the two sides split… and it all goes back to that elusive ninth title.
Name on the Front of the Jersey
Mark Pope has said before that he wants to bring in guys who are playing for the name on the front of their jersey. It just so happens that there are enough of those like-minded athletes across the nation to build one of the consensus best teams in college basketball, all of whom are in full pursuit of a new blue banner in the rafters of Rupp.
With a mindset like that shared across the board and talent like the 2025-26 team has at hand, it’s only a matter of time before that dream becomes a reality once more. For the first time in more than a decade, the entire Big Blue Nation is on the same page – and that includes the guys who can actually make it happen.