Richaun Holmes

Central Notes: Hoiberg, Pacers, Draft

May 15th, 2015 at 7:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The frontrunner to replace Tom Thibodeau if he is let go by the Bulls as expected, is reportedly Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. This interest in Hoiberg isn’t a recent development, since according to league sources the team had already spoken with Hoiberg about his potential interest in coming to Chicago earlier this season, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. It’s unclear if Hoiberg’s health concerns would prevent him from accepting the position if offered, but he certainly hopes to join the pro coaching ranks at some point. “He has always said from day one that his lifelong goal has been to coach in the NBA,” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said of Holberg. “It’s for him to decide when that part of his life he wants to activate. Now it’s just strictly a decision for him and their family personally, not what he wants to do because he’s made that clear. [The NBA is] what he wants to do. It’s a matter of when he wants to do it.”

Here’s what else is happening around the Central Division:

The Pacers interviewed a number of former Kentucky players at the draft combine, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star tweets. Indiana sat down with Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, Trey Lyles, and Devin Booker, Buckner notes.
Cauley-Stein said that Pacers president Larry Bird told him, “I think you’re a $100MM player,” Buckner relays (Twitter links). Booker wasn’t given a dollar value by the team, but did note that there was a “great vibe” during his interview, Buckner adds.
The Pacers will hold their first pre-draft workout this Monday, and in attendance will be Cameron Payne, Olivier Hanlan, Jerian Grant, Rakeem Christmas, Richaun Holmes, and Joseph Young, Buckner tweets.
Lastly from Buckner (via Twitter), the Pacers will be one of the teams attending a private workout in Los Angeles next Friday for forward Kevon Looney and guard Norman Powell.
Looney met with the Pistons while at the draft combine, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports (Twitter links). Also meeting with Detroit was Booker, who believes his outside shooting would be the perfect complement to Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, who is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, Langlois adds.

Draft Notes: Combine, Tokoto, Christmas

May 15th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2015 NBA Draft combine in full swing, two players whose performances in the five-on-five events have elevated their draft stock are Syracuse’s Rakeem Christmas and North Carolina’s J.P. Tokoto, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) relays. When discussing Christmas’ potential one NBA GM told Ford, “He had an advantage [over his combine competition] as a four-year senior. But that wasn’t what set him apart. I felt he showed that he could disrupt shots, attack the rim and play bigger than I felt he did at Syracuse. There aren’t many centers in this draft after the lottery, and I think he’ll draw a lot of interest for teams in the late first and early second.”

Here’s the latest news regarding the 2015 NBA Draft:

Another player who may have improved his draft stock according Ford was Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison. “I haven’t been a big fan of his all year,” one GM told Ford. “But if you take all of that away, he was one of the two or three best players here. He played under control, made some great passes, got to the line relentlessly [7-for-8] and just played with confidence. It was a very good showing.“
There were some scouts who questioned if Tokoto was ready to make the jump from college to the pros, but for his part the player has no regrets about his decision, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. “I’m past that,” Tokoto said of worrying about his choice. “All that really matters is if my family and I are comfortable with my decision. I know I made the right decision. With the teams I’m interviewing with, the question about my jump shot comes up. To go out and have a game like this…I told them, ‘I’ve been working on it and I’m going to shoot jump shots.’“
Oregon guard Joseph Young worked out for the Pacers on Thursday, and he has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Blazers and Spurs, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com tweets.
Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter) also lauded the performances of Harrison and Christmas, while also adding Louisville’s Terry Rozier and Bowling Green’s Richaun Holmes to the list of players who stood out at the combine.

Draft Notes: Combine, Montero, Osman

May 9th, 2015 at 3:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Turkish swingman Cedi Osman indicated that he is most likely two years away from joining the NBA, and that he wishes to gain more experience by continuing to play overseas, Mertkan Üçüncüoğlu of TalkBasket.net relays. “I’m moving in line with my targets,” Osman said. “Hopefully I’ll be selected from a very good place. If I don’t get selected the first round this is not a problem for me. Because I’ll stay here for two more years. I want to go to the NBA in a ready way . That’s what matters. I’ve always dreamed of playing in the NBA.” The 20-year-old is ranked by Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) as the No. 34 overall prospect and he occupies the No. 44 slot on Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress‘ top 100 players in the 2015 NBA draft.

Here’s more draft related items:

Bowling Green product Richaun Holmes will participate in the NBA Draft combine in Chicago, according to Hoops Rumors’ Zach Links (via Twitter). Zach spoke with Holmes late last month to kick off the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series.
Westchester Community College swingman Luis David Montero has qualified to enter the 2015 NBA draft, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The NBA league office relayed that Montero’s early entry letter was received prior to the declaration deadline, Spears notes. The 6’7″ Dominican isn’t currently projected to be selected come June.
With the NBA Draft combine set to begin next week, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders runs down six potential sleeper picks who will be participating in Chicago. According to Koutroupis, these players are Larry Nance Jr. (Wyoming), Norman Powell (UCLA), Keifer Sykes (Wisconsin-Green Bay), Chris Walker (Florida), and Joseph Young (Oregon).
Utah point guard Delon Wright would be a solid draft selection this June for a contending team looking for a role-player who could contribute almost immediately, Ford, Kevin Pelton, and Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) write in their profile of the 23-year-old. Wright is the No. 26 ranked prospect according to both ESPN.com and DraftExpress.

Western Notes: Pondexter, Draft, Jazz

May 6th, 2015 at 10:34pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Jazz aren’t expecting to nab a franchise saving player in this year’s NBA draft, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News notes (Twitter links). “I don’t see a lot of so-called NBA superstars, if any,” said Utah’s VP of player personnel Walt Perrin. “But that’s not to say somebody may not jump forward and become the next Stephen Curry or somebody like that.” While the exact draft order won’t be known until May 19th when the lottery order is determined, the Jazz are sitting at No. 11 in Hoops Rumors’ reverse standings, and the franchise possesses a 0.8% chance at snagging the top overall pick in June’s big event.

Here’s more from the NBA’s Western Conference:

Pelicans forward Quincy Pondexter has undergone successful surgery to repair damage to his left knee, the team announced. No timetable was provided for when the 27-year-old can return to basketball activities. Pondexter was acquired by New Orleans in January as part of a three team trade with the Celtics and Grizzlies.
The Jazz have workouts scheduled on Thursday for Virginia forward Darion Atkins, Murray State guard T.J. Sapp, Bowling Green forward Richaun Holmes, Ohio State guard Shannon Scott, Western Kentucky guard T.J. Price, and Wisconsin guard Traevon Jackson, the team announced via Twitter.
Utah’s GM Dennis Lindsey sees value in these pre-draft workouts despite the majority of the players likely being ticketed to play in the NBA D-League or overseas next season, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. The Jazz are looking for diamonds in the rough similar to Bryce Cotton, who turned a 10-day contract into a multiyear arrangement with his play this past season, Jones notes.

Q&A With NBA Draft Prospect Richaun Holmes

April 29th, 2015 at 11:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Throughout the spring and summer, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series begins with Bowling Green product Richaun Holmes, whom Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks No. 45 in this year’s class and Chad Ford of ESPN.com rates 59th.

Standing at 6’10”, Holmes is a lengthy forward with athleticism that translates to both sides of the floor. With a wingspan of 7’1.5″, the 21-year-old can disrupt passing lanes and protect the paint on defense. Offensively, Holmes has worked hard to improve his game, transforming from a fairly one-dimensional low-post threat to a legitimately strong shooter. Holmes can score with his back to the basket, from 15 feet out, and by driving to the hoop, and that could prove troublesome for defenders at the next level.

Holmes, a client of Keith Kreiter at Edge Sports International, took some time out of his schedule on Tuesday to chat with Hoops Rumors about his skill set, his basketball journey up to this point, and more.

Zach Links: Scouts are enamored with your athleticism, but you’ve also developed into a very solid shooter over the last couple of years. What do you attribute that to?

Richaun Holmes: Just putting the time in. A lot of the time I wasn’t shooting the ball well or consistently, I wasn’t doing it the same way every time and I was just putting up a lot of shots. I knew that I wanted to develop a solid outside shot because I was being left open at the top of the key so often. So, I put the time in and made my shot better.

ZL: What did you change in your form?

RH: My elbow was the main thing that my coaches worked on with me. It was kind of loose and they taught me to keep it tucked in. Once I started doing that, my shots were staying on line.

ZL: You’ve shown that you can score in the post, by driving to the basket or by spotting up from further out. Which facet of your offensive game are you most comfortable with?

RH: I’m definitely most comfortable around the basket just because that’s the most natural thing I did in basketball. Scoring around the basket, getting boards around the rim, that’s what I’ve always done. That’s my domain.

ZL: If you had to write your own scouting report, what NBA player(s) would you compare yourself to?

RH: I think the main guy is Serge Ibaka because of how he affects the game defensively. Obviously, he blocks a ton of shots, and on the offensive end he’s extremely active there finishing around the rim. Now, he’s developed a very good mid-range jumper like I have, so that’s a guy I look up to as I go through this process.

ZL: In a limited sample size, you’ve done pretty well from beyond the arc, too, making 18 of 43 shots this season. Do you feel comfortable shooting from deep now?

RH: I feel like I’m more of a mid-range guy, but I feel like I can space the floor and make three point shots. I definitely have that in my game.

ZL: Are you looking to bulk up between now and the fall? In terms of size and conditioning, what are your goals as you get ready to make the jump to the NBA?

RH: I’m in the weight room just trying to get stronger and ready to compete against those guys. I can’t really put a number on [how many pounds] I want to be, I just want to be strong enough to compete at the highest level. I’ve been talking to a nutritionist, trying to put the best things in my body to keep myself going, [and] doing different weightlifting programs to get more strength and explosiveness.

ZL: You have the size and strength defensively to guard big men, but I imagine that scouts also see you as a guy that can guard on the perimeter thanks to your athleticism and wingspan (7‘1.5“ wingspan, 6’10” height). Do you feel comfortable defending against guards and smaller guys when necessary?

RH: I have the confidence to do that when my team needs me to. I’ve been assigned to a smaller guy at times because I can move pretty well and sometimes they have me switch from 1-5 all over the court. Also in pick and rolls, there are times where you have to switch assignments and I’m comfortable with doing that.

ZL: You took an unusual path to Bowling Green as you first began your collegiate career at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois. What led you to go that route rather than a four-year program right out of high school?

RH: When I got out of high school my dream was to play [NCAA] Division I basketball but I was a late bloomer in high school. When I first came out, I didn’t have any D-I offers really. I had a lot of D-IIs and D-IIIs interested, but i wanted to play D-I so I went to MVCC and the coach there at the time told me that if I worked hard and if I played for him, he’d get me to a D-I college. I trusted him and he came through; that’s how i ended up at Bowling Green.

ZL: Did you think it would be easier to transfer from a community college rather than a D-II or a D-III school?

RH: I knew if you transferred from a community college you could play right away at a D-I and I wasn’t sure how it worked at a D-II or a D-III, so I went to community college to be sure.

ZL: When did you take that major leap forward in high school?

RH: I didn’t step into a leadership or starting role until my senior year. I really didn’t play much in my junior year.

ZL: What led you to break out?

RH: I went from 6’4″ to 6’6″ in my senior year and I just kept working as hard as I could. Then, I kept growing after high school. I measured in at 6’7″ and 3/4 inches in my sophomore year of college and now I’m 6’10”.

ZL: When did you first realize that you had an excellent chance of making it to the NBA? After playing less than 20 minutes per night in your first year at Bowling Green, did you see yourself eventually going pro?

RH: In my junior year I would talk to the coaching staff at that time with [head] coach Louis Orr and he told me that the sky was the limit, that I could play in the pros somewhere if I worked hard enough. I think towards the end of this year the NBA started to become a more realistic possibility for me.

ZL: What specific areas of your game do you feel like you need to improve upon?

RH: I would say for one, ball handling. I just want to be able to create for me and my teammates. I also want to keep developing that solid mid-range jumper because it’s so important in the NBA now for a 4 to stretch the floor and make his shots.

ZL: Have you gotten an indication of where you might go in the draft?

RH: I’m not sure. I talk to my agent, Keith Kreiter, a lot and he tells me I’m a mid-second round guy right now with a chance to get to the first round, so I’m working hard to improve my stock every day.

ZL: What led you to choose Keith Kreiter and the team at Edge Sports International to represent you?

RH: When we sat down with him — we being me, my family, and my brothers — we all just got a really good vibe from him. He was sincere and I knew he was gonna work hard for me and he really cared about me as a person, not just as a commodity. He’s been doing this for a long time and all of those elements for me made this a good decision.

ZL: Have interested teams started reaching out to you?

RH: They’ve talked to Keith and had conversations with him. They know who I am and they want to know even more about me, so that’s exciting.

ZL: What are you up to now?

RH: I’m still down at Bowling Green in school, finishing up. I work out during the week and I train back home in Chicago on the weekends, training there and working around the clock. I’ve got a pretty full slate right now with 12 credit hours, but finals week is next week so I’m almost done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.