Evan Richardson '23 Recruiting Profile

I'm a student of the game. I am a five-tool player who understands that the game is more than scoring. I am a relentless rebounder and an intense defender. I am improving each day. I am still growing and my upside is huge. I continue to learn the game and realize my worth on the court.  I've been playing basketball since I was very young. It started in the alley behind my house with my Dad and younger brother. My passion for the game has grown to the place it is today. I see basketball as an opportunity to further my education and expose me to other experiences that I might not have otherwise. 

I am usually quiet and reserved. It was on the karate mat that I first discovered my competitive nature. I have combined the discipline of martial arts with basketball to make me fearless on the court. That training has translated onto the court into a demeanor that makes me a player a lot larger than my frame.  My Dad has always told me that I have awesome potential but potential without hard work is unrealized. No other recruit will outwork me. I'm looking for a program that will see my huge upside and want to partner with me to take advantage of it. 

I have recently begun working on my game with two different AAU teams. I am expanding my skill set so that I am less one-dimensional.  Being the second tallest player on my varsity squad usually, has me playing in the post. I am working on my midrange and three-point capabilities to more diverse. I am also working on my ball-handling skills to make me more capable with a game facing the basket.

As I play more AAU tournaments I am seeing that the talent I face here is even greater. I enjoy exploring my skills in new ways and I am very happy with my ability to compete. I also see the value of my game greater when I play in tournaments with guys with one or two skills. The more time i play the more I see what I need to work on. My coaches are great also at seeing where I can grow.  

Very happy with my play at this week's past tournament posting some game footage highlights. 

This was a very challenging summer. Coming off injury my playtime initially was reduced. I was able to play for my AAU team SWARM of Delaware. I played well and noticed that my physical abilities are increasing as I mature and grow. My basketball IQ is also on the rise as I think the game more. Things are slowing down for me as I learn to play facing the basket more. I'm looking for this year to be a breakout year for me on my school team. I attended a Big 60 event this summer and performed very well. I posted the highlights on my profile. 

As the new season starts my offensive gave has become more powerful. I am attacking the basket much better and finishing with power around the rim. It is showing up in the highlights I am posting on the website. I am still working on my facing the basket skills and ball handling. Each day and practice I am working on adding components to my game. This started this summer with my 5 AM workouts with my Dad and a school teammate. We did this three days a week for the duration of the summer.  I think this definitely speaks to my driver and desire to get better and work to do just that. With all of our home games being taped, I can now go through the tapes of games and see where I need to do better in the flow of the game.  

This has been a very challenging season for me thus far. I see my on-court awareness growing with each game. I am becoming more complete in my overall game. I have begun to work out privately to improve my facing the basket skills and I am surprised and pleased with my progress thus far. I am getting quite a bit of positive feedback in my high school league and beyond. I am beginning to define what colleges I would like to target that match my educational goals as well as my basketball goals. The consistent features of my game defense and rebounding are still strong and with technique tweaks, offensive rebounding is getting even better. This is actually where a lot of my points are generated. My dad often tells me that defense and rebounding are results of hard work and quotes Charles Barkley who said "any fool can score" He even You tubed the video of the commercial for me. I am pleased to say that I love the game more than ever and am excited to see what I can do at the next level. 

My junior season just ended with a playoff loss in the district. I was part of a record-setting team that did some things not seen before. It was a difficult season for me but throughout it, I was able to achieve honorable mention all Chest-Mont league. I think this honor was bestowed upon me for my all-around play. I lead my team in FG percentage, Total rebounds, offensive rebounds, and blocks and was third in scoring. I am transferring to another school that will allow me to focus more deliberately on my future goals. It is uncomfortable but an indication of the fire I have to compete at the highest level with a coaching staff that is more concerned with my development. I have already begun working with a private coach to construct parts of my game that need honing. I am excited about the change and the opportunity to showcase my current skills and develop new ones. This journey continues.

So I made a decision in the future to attend a school that puts more of a premium on player development to move to the next level. I will be transferring this fall and have already begun workouts with the coaches individually and my new teammates. The results of my decision have already begun to show themselves. The accent of my new coaching is on position less basketball and developing my skills in all areas of the game. Conditioning and strength training has also been enhanced. I have a highlight video of my latest showcase to be posted soon. It shows the work I have put in dramatic results. My shots range and my confidence will leap off the video. I would encourage folks to please preview. I am increasing my dedication and acquiring skills for the next level. My coaches are now as committed as I am to my future success. This is a refreshing and welcomed change. I look forward to the possibilities the future has for me. Stay tuned.

The summer league is going well. Continuing to improve my skill set weekly. I have begun a weight training program with my new team and my strength and weight have improved quite a bit. My weight has gone up and I'm now 170 pounds. The weight is translating to how I look and play. I am really happy with my new coaching staff my trust in them has paid immediate benefits that I can see and feel.

Since I last contributed, I have seen payoff for my new training regiment and team. My strength has increased, and I have been more a focal point of the offense. It has been a dramatic shift away from being an afterthought on offense to the confidence to take advantage of my skills while I incorporate new skills. My game has moved from the block to more of an open court and free shot offense. My new coaching staff is completely focused on getting me prepared to excel at the next level. Given their experience and ability to translate and communicate I am on my way. My ultimate goal is to take advantage of the "division one" skills that my coaches say that I have. I am preparing for the season and working as hard as I have ever in basketball.  I love the game more now because all of it has been made available to me. My excitement is hard to contain. 

The season is underway. The competition is much greater than I had anticipated. It is definitely a move up. I have met the challenge and I'm pretty proud of what what we are doing. I can say I m stronger and my basketball IQ is growing. My new coaches have shown an interest in my development and keep my future goals directly in front of me at all times. I have spoken to many coaches this semester and have arranged to go to practices to observe the collage practice.  Academically this school is a better fit and my grades have improved greatly.  i have added tools and weapons to my game and now I'm getting comfortable with putting them on display. 

This season has been very good for me so far. All of my statistics are up including my playing time. I am a regular starter now and count on being in the line up contributing. I cant thank my new coaching staff enough for the gems and pearls given to help me take my game to the next level. Their instruction has been invaluable. I have been on a couple of college visits and I am looking for more of those opportunities. I have been accepted to about ten schools and several of them have basketball promise. I am also acquiring an appreciation for pace and balance. Between basketball, academics, social obligations and a part time job I am keeping all of the balls in the air pretty well. I would very much like to lock down my basketball home for the future as soon as I can but I know its best to weigh my options before doing so. The journey continues as our season wraps up and we look to he playoffs. This transition to a new school and program has been a challenge but one that I embraced as a chance to enhance my future. So far so good. Gives me a good feeling about my sacrifices so far and what I may have to do in the future.

Well, my journey continues. I have decided to commit to play for Drew University. I would like to take the time to thank all of the coaches who contacted me and spoke with me about how my plans for school could proceed. It was a wonderful experience, and I am beyond excited to embark on this next level of my development. NCSA was invaluable in helping me get to this point. Coach Robinson in particular.