University of Tennessee Athletics
Josh Richardson Drafted by Miami Heat
June 25, 2015 | Men's Basketball
After four impressive years of growth and development on Rocky Top, Tennessee guard Josh Richardson was selected by the Miami Heat in Thursday night's NBA Draft in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Richardson is Tennessee's 46th all-time NBA Draft pick--the program's fourth in the last five years. As further testament to four years well spent in Knoxville, the Edmond, Okla., native also received his Psychology degree in May.
The Heat made Richardson the 40th overall selection Thursday, which was the 10th pick of the second round.
There were 60 total draftees Thursday, spanning two 30-pick rounds. Richardson was one of 45 college players and 10 Southeastern Conference products whose names were called.
A Tennessee product had never been drafted by or played for the Heat, though the organization did briefly hold the rights to Dale Ellis prior to the 2000-01 season.
A 2015 All-SEC honoree from both the Associated Press and the league's head coaches, Richardson finished his Tennessee career ranked third in school history in games played (136), ninth in minutes played (3,802), ninth in games started (110), 10th in steals (147), 16th in blocks (88) and 28th in scoring (1,252).
As a senior this past season, he started all 32 games and led the Volunteers in scoring (16.0 ppg), field-goal percentage (.461), free-throw percentage (.798), assists (3.6 apg), steals (2.1 spg) and minutes played (36.3 mpg). He shot .359 from behind the 3-point arc and .798 from the free-throw line.
Tennessee's only two-time SEC All-Defensive Team selection, his 67 steals in 2014-15 tied Dane Bradshaw (2006-07) for the most ever by a Vol senior and tied for the third-highest single-season total in school history.
Richardson led last year's team in scoring 20 times, assists 20 times and steals 15 times. In SEC play, he led the league in minutes played (36.9 mpg) while ranking second in steals (1.9 spg), fifth in field-goal percentage (.441) and eighth in scoring (15.1 ppg).
As a junior, Richardson burst onto the national stage during the 2014 NCAA Tournament, averaging 19.3 points as the Vols surged into the Sweet Sixteen.
BARNES HAS NOW PRODUCED TWO DOZEN DRAFT PICKS
New Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes saw one of his former Texas players taken in Thursday's draft.
The lottery selection of center Myles Turner (11th overall pick, Indiana Pacers) increased Barnes' total number of NBA Draft picks coached to 24. That includes 14 first-rounders.
Barnes has produced 17 draft picks in the last 17 years.
Prior to Thursday, Barnes' previous NBA Draft picks boasted combined basketball earnings in excess of $387.8 million. Some of his most prominent NBA pupils include Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, D.J. Augustin, Avery Bradley and Tristan Thompson.
