University of Tennessee Athletics
@J_Rich1 Named to SEC Community Service Team
March 09, 2015 | Men's Basketball
In a continuing effort to recognize the accomplishments of student-athletes beyond the field of competition, the SEC once again highlighted a Community Service Team for men's basketball, and Josh Richardson is Tennessee's representative.
Earlier this season, Richardson also was selected as one of 30 preliminary national candidates for the 2015 Men's Basketball Senior CLASS Award.
A senior from Edmond, Okla., Richardson he has shown passion for more than just basketball and academics since his arrival on Rocky Top in the summer of 2011. For nearly four years, he has been extremely active in the Knoxville community, representing the Vols well.
Richardson loves working with kids and therefore has been involved with many children's programs in the East Tennessee area. He is open and passionate about his faith, making it an honor to be the featured speaker at the Central Baptist Church of Bearden's 2014 summer basketball program for inner city youth. At this event he had a chance to speak with the campers, take all their questions and spend time taking photos with them and signing autographs. He also has been involved for the past four years at Knoxville's annual "Hoops For Hope" event that benefits the East Tennessee Down Syndrome Awareness Group, where he has volunteered assisting participants with special needs.
During team visits to area hospitals, such as East Tennessee Children's Hospital and UT Medical Center, Richardson has always led the way when it comes to engaging the patients, playing with kids, making them laugh and helping them temporarily forget their ailments.
He also has read to local elementary students, assisted with Knoxville Habitat for Humanity blitz build and home dedication events and participated in the Tyndall #Family Foundation's "Run for Veterans."
Those are just a few of many examples of Richardson's sterling service record as a Vol.
On the court this season, Richardson has started every game for Tennessee while performing at an All-SEC level. He leads the Vols in scoring (15.7 ppg, 6th in the SEC), minutes (36.2, leads the SEC), steals (2.1 spg, leads the SEC), assists (3.7 apg, 11th in the SEC), field-goal percentage (.458, 7th in the SEC) and free-throw percentage (.791, 7th in the SEC). He is also UT's top-rebounding guard, averaging 4.2 rpg.
He is the only SEC player in the SEC to rank in the active career top-10 in scoring, assists, steals and blocks. His 1,208 career points are third-most among active players in the league and rank 33rd in school history.
This marks the 17th year for the SEC Community Service Team for men's basketball. All 21 league-sponsored sports have had a Community Service Team since 2004, with at-large teams for men's and women's sports being chosen from 1999-2003. The SEC began this concept with a football Community Service Team in 1994.
