Kentucky gets on the board with five-star Nick Richards

When Thursday began, the class of 2017 had been pitching a shutout on John Calipari and Kentucky. Thanks a to a five-star home run, the Wildcats are now on the board.

During an announcement at the Elizabeth (N.J.) Patrick School, 2017's No. 19 ranked player Nick Richards announced that he will play his college ball in Lexington.

"At this time I would like to announce that I will be attending the University of Kentucky under the guidance of John Calipari," said Richards during the announcement. "I know it will be a challenge not only on the basketball court, but in the classroom.I promise to work equally hard in both places.

"I look forward to being a student athlete at the University of Kentucky and making everybody proud."

Checking in at just under seven-feet, Richards -- who played in Nike's EYBL with Expressions Elite -- is a big man who can do a multitude of things.

First and foremost, Richards can be an imposing presence in the lane as a rim protector and defensive rebounder. He's got very good athleticism to go along with his size, he runs the floor and he has plenty of room to pack on the muscle he'll need to play elite level college ball and he should be able to do it without it costing him athleticism.

On the offensive end, Richards is a work in progress but we've always maintained he's better than most give him credit for. His hands are good, he shows touch on short jump hooks and he has the toughness required to establish and hold position.

Now that Richards is official, Calipari and the Cats are hoping the floodgates for top recruits open. Five-star forward P.J. Washington selects today, top 50 point guard Shai Alexander picks Monday and the Cats are very much in the mix with other five-stars like point guards Trae Young and Quade Green and shooting guards Hamidou Diallo and Lonnie Walker.