Ever since landing in Gainesville newly minted head coach Todd Golden has been active in the transfer portal putting out offers and identifying talent that he feels can help him right away with the Gators. Quickly he has built relationships with some top targets and visits are beginning on Thursday when sources say that Will Richard, a transfer from Belmont, will come in and evaluate the campus.
Richard, a 6’5” wing with a reported 6’10” wingspan averaged 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists last year while adding in 0.8 blocks and 1.2 steals on the defensive side of the ball. The versatile Richard played minutes at shooting guard, small forward, and power forward, showing his ability to fit in no matter where he was needed in the lineup.
What makes Richard so enticing as a transfer is that he was only a freshman this last season and proved he could contribute at a high level in the Ohio Valley Conference. He was also able to play two SEC teams this past season, Vanderbilt in the NIT and LSU in non-conference play. Against LSU (one of the best defensive teams in the country) and only in the fifth game of his collegiate career, Richard had 16 points on 6-12 shooting, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Against Vanderbilt he had 22 points on 7-13 shooting with 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.
When it comes to transfers from mid-major conferences the question of quality of competition and just how good the mid-major team the player came from always seem to arise, and for good question. Well, Belmont finished the season 79th in the NCAA’s NET Rankings, and Florida finished 61st. As recently as the second week of February, Belmont was in the mid-fifties. So, this team wasn’t that much behind Florida in the advanced metrics and Richard was a key player in their rotation as only a freshman.
Looking at Richard’s frame you can see why high major teams are all over him. He’s got great length for a wing and he plays hard defensively while being able to switch onto multiple different matchups. His offensive instincts are advanced for a young player and he hit 33% from behind the arc on over four attempts per game, just below the national average but impressive for a young player shooting a fairly high volume of attempts. He had one of the best turnover rates in the country, meaning he doesn’t make foolish decisions with the ball or waste possessions.
Also enticing with Richard is his functional athleticism, particularly in transition where he excels. He’ll defensive rebound with tenacity and then once he gets the ball push at max speed before finishing with either speed and power or with a euro step that allows his length to extend past an outstretched defender.
On the defensive end he was a stout defender even when larger post players tried to take him one-on-one on the block during his minutes as an undersized power forward, and he was more than comfortable on the perimeter using his length and athleticism to plug up dribble penetration.
Many analytic tools that rank players in the transfer portal have Richard as a top-20 available player. For that reason he has all the options in the world though he has clearly enjoyed Todd Golden’s pitch as Florida was one of the first places he agreed to visit. Richard hails from Fairburn, Georgia, or about a five hour drive from Gainesville. Right now the Gators can sell him on a significant role playing in the SEC–a league that more and more players are wanting to be a part of.
For Florida, Richard would be a huge get as he projects as a quality player in a position of need in the modern game–the wing. Additionally, the fact that he would have three years of eligibility is massive. Many top transfers only have one or maybe two years of eligibility but if Golden were to land Richard he might have three years of outstanding production.
Following Richard’s visit on Thursday we may start to see pieces fall into place for Florida’s 2022-23 roster.