Rashaad Richardson is quietly playing what Georgia State coach Ron Hunter describes as the best basketball of his career.
He said it’s no coincidence that as Richardson has improved, so has the team. The Panthers (11-12, 6-4) have won five of their past six games as they prepare to host struggling Old Dominion (2-18, 0-8) on Saturday at the Sports Arena.
Richardson isn’t THE reason the Panthers are winning. He’s averaging 7.2 points per game while R.J. Hunter is having a rookie-of-the-year performance and Manny Atkins and Devonta White have improved their performances as well. But Hunter said Richardson’s leadership and defense are sparking the team.
“I love the way he’s playing right now,” Hunter said. “The game has finally slowed down for him. I think he understands his role. He plays at a pace that he understands everything that we do.”
Richardson, a junior, was one of the few guards who returned from last year’s team. He knew Hunter’s complicated defensive schemes and worked hard during the recent offseason and preseason to instruct all of the freshman and transfers on a guard-heavy team how to execute the plans. Hunter said Richardson was always one of the first players in the gym and the last to leave.
As a result, Hunter made Richardson one of the team’s captains. It seemed a surprising choice. Richardson comes across as quiet, but his mentoring is starting to pay dividends.
“Being a leader is hard,” Richardson said. “I’ve always been that guy in the back. Even when I was in the main guy in high school I was never the legit captain or leader. This being my first year it came with a lot of legit responsibilities. I’m glad that he did it because now it’s more stuff I have to do but it makes my game better.”
Richardson’s motivation came as a result of spending most of his freshman year on the bench under previous coach Rod Barnes. Richardson averaged less than five minutes per game, a much different result than leading his high school team, Oldsmar Christian (Fla.) with 24.6 points per game.
Richardson said he decided that his sophomore year had to be much better.
“I was determined I wasn’t going to sit on the bench,” he said.
Under Hunter, who replaced Barnes, Richardson started 15 games and increased his average playing time to 13.6 minutes per game. He started 15 games and averaged 5.5 points per game. He was one of the few dependable jump-shooters on the team.
“Last year was my best year of basketball since I’ve been playing,” he said.
This year’s team is stacked with jump-shooters, so Richardson isn’t getting as many opportunities to score. But he is taking advantage of his moments, scoring at least 11 points in five of the past seven games.
“There’s no need for me to force anything,” he said. “I just do what I have to do if it’s there.”
Hunter knows he can count on him after Richardson hit game-winning 3-pointers against Tennessee State and Liberty earlier this year.
Hunter wants Richardson to work on his consistency with his shot. Hunter said Richardson has one of the best pull-up jumpers he’s ever coached and would like to see him use that more. If he does, Hunter said it will improve Richardson’s offense because defenders will have to choose between running out on him, which will open up driving lanes, or sagging back to guard against the pull-up jumper, which will open up the 3-pointer.
He also wants him to maintain his focus on offense. Richardson can score several quick baskets and then not shoot again for long stretches. He hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the first half of Wednesday's win over Northeastern, and didn't attempt another shot for almost eight minutes. Some of that is the result of having other shooters, and some of it is the result of Richardson not being aggressive enough.
“When he plays well we win,” Hunter said. “There’s no question about it.”
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