Nick Richards to Kentucky: Wildcats Land 5-Star Center Prospect

Prized center prospect Nick Richards announced Thursday he's planning to continue his basketball career at Kentucky.

Evan Daniels of Scout.com passed along word of the rising star's selection of the Wildcats. He chose Kentucky over Syracuse and Arizona, per Daniels.

Richards is a 5-star prospect who rates as the No. 17 overall recruit in the 2017 class, according to the Scout player rankings. He's also listed as the seventh-best center among the incoming group and the top player at the position from the state of New Jersey.

The Patrick School standout brings a different skill set to the table than most of his fellow elite recruits. His main contributions during his freshman campaign figure to come on the defensive end, where he uses his 6'10'' frame and athleticism to defend the rim aggressively.

His effort to become a stalwart defender in high school is something he discussed with Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader‎.

"I just want to do something different that nobody else is doing, to be honest," Richards said. "I see nobody in my class is really playing defense."

Being reliable at that end of the floor also makes him more likely to see crunch-time minutes as a freshman. A lot of talented prospects end up on the bench in those key moments because coaches can't depend on them to help come up with a crucial stop.

Richards' offensive game does need quite a bit of work, though. He doesn't have much range, and his work around the basket is limited as he works to add more post moves to his arsenal.

His biggest impact comes from working the boards for second-chance points. One thing he does have is power around the rim, as Overtime highlighted:

Ultimately, since his main impact is going to come from his defense, even an average offensive game would make him a valuable asset.

Like many highly ranked prospects in recent years, Richards decided Kentucky gave him the best opportunity to develop his game quickly. Head coach John Calipari has built a program on the basis of helping players make a smooth one-year transition through the college ranks.

One thing that's tough to project is playing time, though. The Wildcats' roster turnover rate and ability to attract coveted recruits makes it difficult to know exactly how much a certain player will play next season. But it's a safe bet the program's latest addition should play a pivotal role by season's end.

All told, Richards might not have as many highlight-reel plays as the other top prospects in the 2017 class, but his long-term outlook is as bright as anybody.