Kentucky’s Nick Richards as good as his contemporaries in NBA, Pearl says
Austin Wiley, a 6-foot-11, 260-pound senior, gives Auburn a player to match up with Kentucky big man Nick Richards. Not that Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl sounded assured of his team containing Richards.
Pearl said Richards is a Southeastern Conference Player of the Year candidate. Recalling Richards as a recruiting prospect three years ago, the Auburn coach said, “He was in a class with some of the best ‘bigs’ that are in the NBA right now. It was only a matter of time before Nick was going to break out and do what he does.”
Richards posts up, makes mid-range jumpers, blocks shots and converts lobs into dunks.
“I remember watching him in high school, and I liked him as much as any of those centers coming out,” Pearl said. “There’s a bunch of those guys in the NBA right now. He’s as good as any of them.”
When asked how much Richards had improved in a third college season, Pearl said, “Significantly.”
Wiley has emerged in a similar fashion for Auburn. His averages of 10.1 points and 9.2 rebounds are career bests. He had only one double-double in each of his first two seasons for Auburn. He has had seven such games this season.
Similarly, Richards had one double-double in his first two seasons, and then nine this season.
“Austin’s having a great year,” Pearl said on a Southeastern Conference coaches’ teleconference in early January. “And it’s really simple. He’s healthy, really for the first time since his freshman year. He’s still 20 years old. He came out of high school early to help us get the program more competitive. … He’s leaner. He’s fit. He’s healthy and he’s providing great leadership. It’s so much fun to watch him move. I just love mobile big guys.”
Wiley, who is from Hoover, Ala., played for a USA Basketball team coached by John Calipari a few summers ago.
Wiley gives Auburn “a physical player,” the UK coach said. “Being able to score around the basket. He runs and plays hard. …
“I love him to death. He’s a beautiful person aside from being a heck of a basketball player.”
‘Biggest overachiever’
Auburn’s success — which included being one of the last two remaining unbeaten teams in Division I — puzzles ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi.
“I’m not in love with Auburn,” he said earlier this week. “I’m not sure how they’re quite doing it. Obviously, we need to give (Pearl) some credit. …
“To me, at the top of the league, they’re probably the biggest overachiever.”
Heart-breaker
Pearl recalled recruiting Ashton Hagans, whom he called “probably the best point guard in the league.”
Hagans, who is from Cartersville, Ga., received a scholarship offer from Auburn early in the recruiting process.
“I told him when we were recruiting him, I said, ‘What’s going to happen is you’re going to love Auburn,’” Pearl said. “‘And then Coach Calipari is going to come in and offer you a scholarship at Kentucky. And then you’re going to break my heart.’
“And he did.”
Three vs. three
While synonymous with three-point shooting, Auburn has not shot especially well from beyond the arc this season. The Tigers rank 275th in three-point accuracy (31.4%) and 88th in threes per game (8.2).
Calipari spoke of how playing Kentucky inspires better shooting. He said an opponent (Vanderbilt?) had made eight of 72 (actually 20 of 131 in the previous five games), then made nine against UK.
Kentucky ranks 18th in the nation in three-point defense. Opponents have made only 28.9% of three-point shots.
AUTLIVE game
Auburn has designated it the AUTLIVE Game. AUTLIVE is a fundraising effort by Auburn and the Bruce Pearl Family Foundation to raise awareness of cancer prevention and detection.
Pearl and his wife contributed $25,000 to pay for T-shirts that will be on sale Thursday, Friday and at the game.
“It started at Tennessee where I had a student-athlete — Chris Lofton — that battled and beat cancer his senior year …,” Pearl said. “If not for a random drug test his junior year in the NCAA Tournament, he probably never would have detected it and it could have killed him. He was lucky.”
A native of Maysville, Lofton played for Pearl at Tennessee.
This season Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices donates $25 to AUTLIVE each time Auburn makes a three-point shot.
Massages?
Calipari said Thursday’s team activities included massages. When asked how he reconciled player massages while repeatedly calling for toughness this season, Calipari paused for 10 seconds before answering.
“Probably a good point,” he said. “I can tell you I don’t get a massage.”
Etc.
Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and sideline reporter Holly Rowe will call the game for ESPN.
