5 Rushed Reactions – Kentucky at LSU

2. How valuable is Nick Richards?

Nick Richards just doesn’t seem like he belongs on the floor at this point in the season. When he’s in, opponents simply put him in pick and roll situations and the Kentucky Wildcats struggle to guard. Offensively, he gives the Cats very, very little, if anything, against quality opponents. Sacha Killeya-Jones, Wenyen Gabriel, and PJ Washington all provide more offense than Richards and all can rebound as well. Kentucky doesn’t need Richards to score necessarily, but if he can’t defend then he simply can’t play. The Wildcats cannot stop ball-screen offenses when Richards is involved. Kentucky cannot get stops when Richards has to guard a post player that can knock down perimeter shots, such as Thomas Welsh of UCLA. If Calipari is going to play Richards, then the Cats need to play zone.