SAN JOSE, Calif. — No. 12 Oregon men’s basketball’s first round 72-54 victory over No. 5 Wisconsin was filled with highlight plays.
Whether it was Payton Pritchard’s handles, Kenny Wooten’s dunks and blocks, Louis King’s shooting or Paul White’s 14-point second half, the Ducks showed out in the victory.
Overshadowed by all the Twitter highlights was guard Will Richardson. Despite coming off the bench, the freshman from Hinesville, Georgia, made a major difference, as he was plus-26 in 27 minutes, the highest +/- on either team.
“This is what I live for,” Richardson said. “I’ve been grinding all my life for this. It’s not like I was nervous or anything. I expect to be in the game at the end, so it wasn’t like a big surprise or anything.”
The national spotlight could have bothered the freshman. The moment was not too bright for Richardson. He thrived in it.
“He played very well, especially as a freshman in this kind of environment, you can’t underestimate that,” Paul White, a senior, said. “I remember when I was a freshman playing my first NCAA Tournament game, one thing I just didn’t want to do is mess up. I think today he was real aggressive. If not aggressive, he was very composed. That’s what we needed from him today”
Richardson’s impact, however, could not be seen on the box score. His seven points were obviously important, but they didn’t hold a candle to his defense on Wisconsin’s guards, his communication and his five rebounds.
“I know I’m not going to be the leading scorer on the team,” Richardson said. “I just try to play as hard and as good as I can when I’m on the court. After we win, I go home and prepare for the next game. Right now, it’s not about the stats, it’s about winning.”
The Ducks won, so Richardson succeeded. His defense and communication also helped hold Wisconsin to a 33.3 shooting percentage, its lowest of the season.
“He does a lot of great things,” Wooten said. “He’s always talking to me on the court, which is great because it keeps me into it. I know he talks to a lot of the other players, too. He really does affect the game in a tremendous way.”
Richardson has played in all 36 games this year, and even started 12 throughout the season. However, he lost the starting job after the Ducks lost to USC on February 21. That could have buried him, but he stayed positive. He understood he wasn’t playing his best. The humbling lineup change forced him to switch his mindset and that is paying off right now.
“I was more in it for myself than for the team, so coming off the bench humbled me,” Richardson said. “It kind of reminded me what we’re here to do; what’s our main goal, and that’s to win a National Championship. … I actually like coming off the bench better. I just feel like by the time I get in the game, I’m fresh and everybody else is a little tired.”
Although Friday’s performance was great, he knows he is nowhere near his peak.
“Not even close,” Richardson said. “I’m not playing my best basketball. I’m playing much better than I was at the beginning of the year, but nah, not even close. I’ve got a whole bunch more.”
Follow Maverick Pallack on Twitter @mavpallack
