From the Trove -- Kadary Richmond

[Halldan1]

At the conclusion of the season I write player/coach/team profiles.

I'll bring one here to our loyal readers as a thank you for helping the school collect over $2M+ in two days for Giving Day.

PirateCrew

The definitive source for all Seton Hall news.

setonhall.rivals.com

Player profile

• Height 6-6
• Weight 210
• Class Grad Senior
• Hometown Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Highschool South Shore / Brewster Academy

2022-23: Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team … Twice named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll … Had his best season as a collegian statistically, setting career highs in scoring (10.1 points per game), rebounding (5.2 rpg), minutes (27.6 mpg), three-point percentage (44 percent), free throw attempts (101) and free throws made (70) … Matched his career high with 53 steals and averaged more 4.0 assists per contest for the second consecutive season … Led the team in rebounding in BIG EAST play, averaging 5.5 rebounds per game, and finished second in scoring with 11.8 points per game … Finished in a three-way tie for first in the BIG EAST averaging 2.0 steals per game … Finished ninth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9 a/to) and seventh with 4.6 defensive rebounds per game … Posted five games with at least five assists and scored in double figures 14 times … Season was cut short with a back injury that forced him to miss the last five games the season … Led the Pirates in scoring with 17 points at Kansas (12/1), also adding five rebounds and five assists … Matched his career-high with six steals in the road win over Rutgers (12/11), becoming first pirate since Quincy McKnight in 2019 to hit that mark … Exploded for a career-high 28 points and matched his career best with nine rebounds against Providence (12/17) … Had a great all-around game on New Year’s Eve against St. John’s with 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists … Flirted with a triple-double against Butler (1/7), finishing with 11 points, nine assists and eight rebounds … Secured his second career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds against UConn (1/18) … Finished with 15 points, 13 boards and 7 assists at St. John’s (2/1), the first such game by a Pirate since at least 2010.

2021-22: Started 26 of 32 games for the Pirates... Became the primary starting point guard the second half of the season ... Averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game … Ranked fourth in the conference in assists per game and fifth in steals per game….Had 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals against Yale (11/14) ... Recorded 10 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and four steals in a victory over Wagner (12/1) ... Delivered a career-high 27 points, including 17 straight, on 10-of-13 shooting in an overtime victory against UConn (1/8) ... Tallied a season-high 5 steals to go along with 11 points and 4 assists against No. 22 Marquette (1/15) ... Recorded a career-high eight rebounds to go along with 12 points, seven assists, and three steals in a victory over Georgetown (2/1) ... Tallied 14 points, three rebounds, and seven assists in a victory over Creighton at the Prudential Center (2/4) ... Scored 16 points and dished out five assists at Villanova (2/12) ... Recorded 12 points and five rebounds while tying his career-high in assists with 10 against Georgetown (3/2) ... Helped the Pirates beat Georgetown in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament (3/11) with nine points, three assists, and two rebounds.

BEFORE SETON HALL: Played in 28 games and averaged 6.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 21 minutes per game as a freshman at Syracuse ... Ranked third on the team with 86 assists ... Recorded a personal-best 10 assists and snagged four steals in the home win against North Carolina ... Tallied eight points, two rebounds, and two blocks in the NCAA Tournament victory against San Diego State ... Helped Syracuse to an upset victory against #16/14 Virginia Tech with 13 points off the bench ... Had seven assists and five steals at Rutgers ... Made his first career start against Niagara and recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks in the win.

PERSONAL: Kadary Richmond was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2001 ... He is the son of Florence Etienne ... He has two brothers, Daquan and Farrell, and two sisters, Kiara and Flarissa ... 2020 First Team All-New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) at Brewster Academy ... 2019 New York City Public School Player of the Year at South Shore High School in Brooklyn.

Stats

Kadary Richmond - Seton Hall Pirates Guard - ESPN

View the profile of Seton Hall Pirates Guard Kadary Richmond on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.

www.espn.com

 

[Halldan1]

Most know the story with Richmond. It was never about talent, it was always about performance. It was like that with his coming out of New England prep power Brewster Academy as a four star player ranked No. 88 in his class. It continued at Syracuse under then head coach Jim Boeheim. A one year marriage between the multi talented freshmen and the volatile coach. And then at Seton Hall under both Kevin Willard and his successor Shaheen Holloway.

None unlocking the full potential of the mercurial Richmond. Until this last year where 'Kooks' led the surprising Pirates to within one game of 2nd place in the conference finishing with a league record of 13-7. Blemished by a controversial 3 O/T loss to Creighton in late January with multiple questionable whistles.

Following the regular season's end the magic carpet ride for Richmond and the Pirates seemingly ended when the NCAA committee stunned the basketball world choosing only 3 Big East teams to Dance. That despite the conference being rated second best in the country.

But one day later, Richmond and his fellow senior classmen at the invite of their head coach huddled together to decide if it was best to pack away the balls and end the season, or to accept an NIT invite and play in that tournament as the overall #1 seed. With the later being their choice.

Unknown to most everyone Holloway pulled aside his PG and they had a long talk before the first NIT game. During that conversation Richmond was told he had to change his game, one that he had been playing for the past 3 years. Instead of attacking the basket, a talent that Richmond could do at will, he was instead asked to penetrate but then look to kick out to an open shooter or drop the ball with an interior pass to cutting teammates.

That started in game one vs St Joseph's. But it didn't immediately pay dividends as the Pirates were sluggish in the first 20 minutes of the game played at Walsh. Even ESPN announcer Fran Fraschilla called out Richmond for not being aggressive on offense when in fact he was only following the game plan as constructed by Holloway. A game plan never changed until the final whistle blew in Hinkle where the Pirates concluded their surprising season with an NIT Championship, their first since 1953.

Teammate Al-Amir Dawes won the tournament MVP award, and rightly so as he finished his college BB career with a flourish. But he would have never won that award, nor would the Pirates have cut down the nets in Indiana without the first team All Big East guard changing his game for the good of the team.

Still despite this past season. One where he was chosen one of the five best players in the ultra competitive Big East there were still whispers that we had not seen the best of Kardary Richmond.

Whispers that frankly confounded this reporter because to my way of thinking Richmond was the most valuable player in the 11 team league. When Richmond didn't play, he missed two games because of injury, or when he went to the bench for a blow the Hall's offense came to a grinding halt.

Fortunately Richmond seldom sat until the result was a foregone conclusion as the player who never previously played more than 27 minutes per game played nearly 33 MPG this season. Minutes that were a must in the Pirates winning 25 games.

Now the question becomes does the Hall's best player take advantage of his Covid year at Seton Hall or look to play elsewhere, be it in the portal with another team, or in the NBA?

Word is he will test the NBA draft but keep his options open returning to college if that doesn't pan out.

If Richmond does come back for a final year as a grad senior his options will be unlimited. As befits a player of his caliber despite what seemed like the constant criticism he has faced throughout his career. Some justified, some not as seen this past year.

Pros

Length
Ability to penetrate and create
Court vision
Rebounding
Defensive presence
Free throw shooting

Cons
Finishing at the rim
Ball dominant
Long range shooting

Oh yeah, let's probably add the Haggerty Award winner as well. (This was written before the voting)

Final grade A+/A

 

[Halldan1]

Comments welcomed.

 

[Halldan1]

No thoughts guys?

 

[HallLine69]

Kadary was an A for sure. It will be a good while before we have another player who can match his multiple talents and skills. I will never forget his one-man show against UConn the year before last. He was just incredible.

 

[jack 1970]

No doubt A!

 

[halltheway]

A strong A for me...how many games do we win without him???

 

[HallX2]

He was great.

 

[ivyhillparkk1963]

Loved Richmond and think he has still big upside. Should he come back next year gives us top 25 credibility for sure..

 

[dehere23]

Loved Richmond and think he has still big upside. Should he come back next year gives us top 25 credibility for sure..

He raises the possible ceiling no question and, perhaps even more important for a program like ours, raises the "floor". Still need to see what we put around him though if he stays. Big shoes to fill with what we got from Dre, Dawes and Bediako this year, not to mention the departure already of 2 other kids who many had in as upperclassmen rotation players, and who were 2 of our 3 main bench options during the NIT run.

 

[DIMEDISHA13]

Interesting how the game plan was changed with Kadary asked to pass more and how that was perceived by the media and fans on this board as him being disinterested in participating in the NIT.

That’s why we should be slow to respond at times to the effort some of our players give. Kadary was asked to adjust his game for St Joes and we won the game!!

 

[MBF72]

But is he coming back?