Friday, June 29, 2007

Wolves select Florida's Chris Richard at #41

With the 41st pick in the draft, the Wolves selected Corey Brewer's teammate, Chris Richard.


He averaged 6.2 points and 3.7 rebounds last season as a senior with the Gators. Richard was the 2007 SEC sixth man of the year; he made 84.6 percent from the floor during the 2007 NCAA tournament, averaging 9.0 points per game.


From Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune:
Richard was not among the 120 players profiled in the NBA's media guide of draft prospects, but Wolves VP Kevin McHale said he was impressed with Richard's presence and workout at Target Center and by a story told him by Gators guard Taurean Green, whom the Wolves did not draft: Richard declined a starting spot at the Gators' traditional Senior Night because it was an important game.

"That tells you how selfless he is," McHale said. "Those Florida kids have a real feel for winning. He could have started literally for any team in the country."


McHale also said about Richard:
"We had all five of the Florida kids in for visits," said McHale, who says Richard possesses toughness similar to last year's second-round Wolves pick, Craig Smith of Boston College. "All of them spoke so glowingly of Chris Richard just as a great guy and banger."