Arkansas freshman Billy Richmond says Hogs will shock people in 2024-25
From Memphis, Tennessee, to Camden, New Jersey, and now the rolling hills of Arkansas, freshman wing Billy Richmond has been through the wringer of personal growth, and is now looking to turn his dreams into reality with the Razorbacks heading into the 2024-25 season.
Richmond — and those who have been by his side through the process — sat down to detail the journey in Whistle's original "No Days Off" last week.
"I've been training Billy since he was seven years old," Richmond's trainer Jevonte Holmes said. "What makes me most proud of Billy is the things that he had to overcome, him coming out of high school from eighth grade to ninth grade being a 6-foot guard.
"The growing pains he went through from his ninth grade year going to his sophomore year, 6-foot-0 to 6-foot-5. I knew at times he wanted to shut down and didn't really want to go through it, but to see him now as the basketball player that he is, that's the thing I'm most proud of."
Rated as the No. 23 overall player in the class of 2024 and eighth-best small forward, Richmond flipped his commitment to the Razorbacks following head coach John Calipari's departure from Kentucky to Arkansas.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound phenom was excellent during his senior season at Camden High School, as he averaged 17.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals across 30 games with seven double-doubles. His season-high of 30 points and 15 boards came against Coatesville (PA) on Jan. 22.
"I play shooting guard and small forward, I like to attack a lot, get down hill," Richmond said. "I feel confident about driving, getting down hill. Playing both sides on the ball and defense, because I love defense. Once I get my three-point right, I feel like I'll be a more complete player.
"I'm on a dog on the court, there's not a lot of aggressive players out here so when I'm out here, I'm like the only aggressive player. You don't see too many of those, especially in this generation. Just an entertaining person when you watch me."
Currently projected to go 31st overall in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft by NBA Draft Room, Richmond's ceiling could land him even higher — but that wouldn't be possible without his strong work ethic.
"I think he's already working out similar to a pro," Richmond's agent Ryan Davis said. "So I think Billy understands what it's going to take to get to the NBA and I think he understands it early enough where he's on track to get there himself.
"When I first watched Billy play, what stood out to me was intention to play defense.He's improving with his shooting and once his shooting improves to the point where he's shooting consistently from the NBA three, that's when I think he'll start to look like an All-Star."
Part of a Hoop Hogs' roster that already includes a projected 11 players, Richmond's path to consistent playing time won't be easy. But if his past experiences and triumphs mean anything, no one will stop him from accomplishing his goals.
"My long term goal is to be a hall-of-famer, retire my mom and I want to have a farm too," Richmond said. "I just want cows, sheep, all that. No days off for me, just sacrifice. You got to sacrifice time, money just to get to your goals in life. If you really want it, you'll do it.
"I decided to take my talents to Arkansas. I'm looking forward to playing with Boogie Fland and Karter Knox, us three, our game will just complement each other. All the pieces will fit and we'll put them in place, and we're going to shock a lot of people this season."
