Prospect Spotlight: Jordan Richeson (2019)
The natural progression of a high school prospect can vary depending on the player and the school. Some are immediate impact guys as a freshman, some work their way in as role players and some take more time to mature. For Jefferson Forest junior Jordan Richeson, he got a lot of valuable experience as a sophomore even though he wasn’t the go-to guy.
Last season at Alleghany (his family moved to Lynchburg over the summer), Richeson started and averaged 8 points per game on an experienced team with three seniors. He had multiple double digit games, including a couple of 18 point games, but it was the playing time and experience that he came away with that helped him a lot.
“Playing and starting as a sophomore for Alleghany was a privilege,” Richeson said. “Being on the court with three seniors most of the time makes you realize how much faith and confidence your coach has in you despite being so young. Playing such a big role my sophomore year helped me mature on the court and gave me more confidence in myself while it helped me become a leader.”
Richeson gained valuable experience starting as a sophomore at Alleghany last year.The 6’4” wing comes to a Jefferson Forest team that returns multiple starters and has a good young core to build around. Moving during the summer has gave him time to acclimate himself to the area, coaching staff and teammates, but he still knows he’s got a ways to go to prepare for the season in a more basketball rich area.
“Transferring schools is going to be tough,” he admits. “Playing with new teammates, being coached by by new coaches and running different sets will take some getting used to. Going into the first practice with that confidence and leadership I learned should help me gain both the players and coaches trust, and I know I’m going to have to listen and learn as much as I can on the fly.”
Richeson’s size and versatility on the wing will be a welcome addition to JF. At 6’4” he can play both on the perimeter and in the post, he’s an athletic finisher in transition and he can shoot it from deep. He spent much of the summer in the gym working on his conditioning, which he’ll need because he’ll be looking at a lot more minutes moving forward.
“My strengths as a player are my ability to knock down open looks, make the extra pass, playing smart and being able to drive the basket. I know I need to work on my quickness defensively and on my ball handling moving forward.”
Moving to a bigger area will bring new challenges for Richeson, but also new opportunities as well. He’s already a sleeper that’s ready to take the next step, and if he continues to develop and produce more he’ll be one for college coaches to keep an eye on moving forward.