CHICAGO — Former UA assistant coach Book Richardson walked through the lobby of Chicago’s Intercontinental Hotel late Friday night, and it was almost as if nothing had changed.
That is, Richardson could hardly get out of the lobby.
A number of coaches, players and others greeted Richardson warmly as he walked from the elevator back out to Michigan Avenue, while former Oregon wing Troy Brown gave him an extended hug.
Richardson didn’t attend the NBA Combine itself but stationed himself at the Combine’s official hotel, keeping his network up to date after spending last season out of basketball following his arrest on federal bribery and fraud charges. He was also seen on Thursday evening in and around the hotel while spending time with a number of basketball figures.
Basically, Richardson was spending time in exactly the manner he was expected to when a federal judge gave him clearance to travel to Chicago.
Richardson declined to comment when I approached but the actions of Richardson and those around him probably said something.
Chance Comanche went undrafted and is working his way to the NBA through the G League.
Chance Comanche went undrafted last year after leaving Arizona as a sophomore, yet he just might find a path to the NBA somehow. Memphis G League coach Glynn Cyprien said Comanche improved as last season went on to the point where he’s generating interest around the league. Memphis holds Comanche’s G League rights but Comanche is free to sign an NBA contract or a two-way contract with another NBA team.
“What I think he needs to do is continue to develop,” Cyprien said. “He’s got a bunch of teams calling about him. He’s very intriguing. He’s going to some other teams’ minicamps and I think if he shows well in them, his next goal is to get on some team’s summer league team. And from that point on, you just never know.”
Rawle Alkins makes USC's Elijah Stewart his own poster during the Pac-12 Tournament championship.
Wasn’t a surprise that Rawle Alkins couldn’t go through two days of media interviews without being asked about his “poster.”
You know, the one where he crushed Elijah Stewart’s soul during a dunk in the Pac-12 Tournament final against USC.
Asked to explain how it all played out, Alkins said:
“I think was a post play for Deandre and they ended up double-teaming him and I saw the lane open so I was cutting and then I didn’t really see the defender,” Alkins said. “As soon as I caught the ball I just saw the rim. I thought I was wide open so I tried to cock it back as far as possible. Then the defender came kind of late and the rest is history."
USC continues to recruit well with 2018 and 2019 prospects despite also being involved in the federal investigation into college basketball, and Trojans coach Andy Enfield may have enough help to challenge for the league title again next season despite losing Chimezie Metu, De’Anthony Melton, Jordan McLaughlin and Stewart.
The Trojans will bring in three highly rated players this summer, five-star guard Kevin Porter, four-star guard Elijah Weaver and four-star forward J'Raan Brooks.
“All three will have a chance to help us immediately,” USC coach Andy Enfield said. “Because we lost a significant production, they’ll have a chance to compete for playing time and help us.”
Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner, the former UA player and assistant coach whose father has long run Nike-sponsored summer showcases, said he likes the current summertime recruiting circuit because it is an efficient way to see players while they are engaged in meaningful 5-on-5 competition.
He’s also not wild about the Rice Commission’s recommendation into allowing a player to return to school in the summer if he isn’t drafted – unless coaches are given an extra scholarship if the player returns.
But he said he would agree with some of the commission’s recommendations, particularly those that involve elite prospects.
“I think there’s gonna be some changes but I think the game is very healthy,” Pastner said. “You can always pinpoint something here and there but I still think the game is extremely healthy and secondly there’s so much stuff about the college game that only involves about 20 players. About 99.9 percent of them are never going to play in the NBA. And 99.9 percent of summer teams just want to play – the dad’s coaching the son or somebody just wants to have an opportunity to coach because they’re not an NBA coach or a college coach or a high school coach. They just want to enjoy it and they’re paying their own expenses out of pocket."
Alkins and Allonzo Trier played their best game of the week on Friday and also tested well in several areas this week at the NBA Combine.
Over two games, Alkins averaged 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks (he had all five in Friday's game) while shooting 8 of 19 from the field and 1 for 5 from 3-point range.
Trier averaged 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 3.5 turnovers while shooting 5 of 12 from the field including 2-for-4 from 3-point range. Trier was also 4 of 5 from the free throw line.
Here's how they measured out:
Body fat: Alkins 8.9 percent (fifth highest), Trier 4.9 (eighth lowest)
Hand length: Alkins 8.5 inches (20th biggest among guards), Trier 8.25 (36th among guards)
Hand width: Trier 10.5 inches (first among guards), Alkins 10 inches (third among guards)
Height without shoes: Trier 6-3.75, Alkins 6-2.75
Height with shoes: Trier 6-5.25, Alkins 6.425
Standing reach: Alkins 8-3 (24th among guards), 8-2 (28th among guards)
Weight: Alkins 217.4 pounds, Trier 198.0 pounds
Wingspan: Alkins 6-8.75 (19th among guards), Trier 6.675 (30th among guards)
Lane agility: Trier 11.02 seconds (16th overall), Alkins 11.50 (40)
Shuttle run: Trier 2.96 seconds (1st), Alkins 3.09 (16)
Three-quarter-court sprint: Trier 3.14 (16), Alkins 3.18 (23)
Standing vertical leap: Alkins 32.5 (6), Trier 32.0 (10)
Maximum vertical leap: Alkins 40.5 (6), Trier 40.0 (10)
