Many wondered if the Kadary Richmond that made such an impact at Seton Hall last year would have the same effect on the St. John’s basketball program this season after his slow start.
Richmond, at times, looked hesitant and unsure of himself.
His awkward looking shot that Rick Pitino tried to fix in the offseason was still not yielding results and he appeared disinterested at various points in games.
His teammates, however, were never worried about him, knowing that he would assert his presence when it mattered the most.
“Kadary was never a player that any of us, actually, were worried about,” Zuby Ejiofor said. “We knew he was going to find his mojo sooner than later.”
His struggles are all ancient history now.
Richmond has assumed his role as an All-Big East player for the Johnnies and has looked the part of an All-American in the last three weeks. His turnaround directly coincides with his return to Seton Hall and being greeted with a chorus of boos by the Pirate fans.
“He's a humble superstar,” Rick Pitino said after Kadary Richmond delivered one of his best performances of the season against No. 11 Marquette with 18 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.
It came on the heels of his game winning shot with 3.0 seconds remaining three days earlier against Providence, saving St. John’s from blowing a 19-point second half lead.
“A humble, hard-working guy who's getting better at his age, he's like a fine wine,” Pitino added. “He’s just getting better and he's just a great teammate. He doesn't look for credit, he doesn't look for praise.”
Yet the normally stoic Richmond emerged out of his shell against the Golden Eagles, showing a lot of emotion on the court. He let out a thunderous scream after being fouled on a basket in the second half and yelled again in the final minutes when he blocked a 3-point attempt that brought Madison Square Garden to its feet.
“An out of body experience,” Richmond called his outburst.
He’s averaging 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game since returning to the Prudential Center, shooting 64.4-percent (38-for-59) in the five-game stretch.
“He knows no one can guard him,” Deivon Smith, Richmond’s backcourt mate, said.
“His level of intensity is a lot higher now,” Ejiofor continued. “When the competition rises, he rises to the occasion and he’s not afraid of the moment.”
The praise has even come from No. 11 St. John’s (20-3, 11-1 Big East) next opponent, UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who has seen Richmond develop throughout his college career.
“He looks like an NBA player, he looks like one of the two or three best players in the league,” he told reporters on Thursday. “He has been absolutely dominant in these last couple of performances.”
St. John’s will hope that this version of Kadary Richmond is here to stay and continue the magical season for the Johnnies as the focus shifts to Storrs, Connecticut on Friday night (8:00 p.m. ET, FOX) against the No. 19 UConn Huskies (16-6, 8-3 Big East).