Richaun Holmes: NBA Draft Preview

Some summer excitement for Falcon fans will come tomorrow during the NBA draft.  Why, you might add, when the last Falcon picked in the NBA draft was in 1998 and the last MAC player drafted was Chris Kamen in 2003.

The answer is that Richaun Holmes is making a run at being drafted...according to this compilation of mock drafts on Hustle Belt, he could go as high as 36.  Whichever, there seems to be a consensus that Holmes has played his way into being drafted following the end of his career at BG.

He has a site on NBA.com.  You really should check it out...in addition to the ability to spin Richaun round and round, you can learn that he is actually 6'10" (BG listed him as 6'8"), has a 7'2" wingspan, 36" vertical jump and 9% body fat.

That's right.  9% body fat.

There's also a scouting report, which includes:

NBA projection: Holmes showed NBA teams what he could do against a higher level of competition when he averaged 14.7 points, 6.3 points, 3.7 blocked shots and 2.0 steals in the Portsmouth Invitational, thus earning him a spot in the Chicago pre-draft combine. He’s got a chance to wind up on an NBA roster because of his defensive ability, but also his improvement as a face-up offensive player.

Also, there's a very compelling story from NBA.com about Holmes' improbable journey to where he is today.  Note credit to Louis Orr for seeing the talent and recruiting them, and then note the credit given to Coach Jans for getting the obviously talented Holmes up to the next level.

A sample:

"It was a huge culture change," Clapacs [former BG DBO] said. "He had never been pushed that hard in his life, or worked that hard in his life. But coach Jans didn't have to ride him. Once Richaun bought in, he was bringing it hard every day. When he broke through those barriers, that's when he took off."

Holmes' senior-year numbers—14.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks—weren't drastically different than the season before. But his field-goal percentage jumped from .507 to .563, and his 3-point percentage, a barely acceptable .300 as a junior, soared to .419.

I'm not going to lie.  I would not have expected this to happen when BG's season ended in late March.  I never really thought of Holmes as an NBA player, maybe just because it is so rare in the MAC and he was a good player but never the best player in the conference.  I figured he would have a very productive career in Europe, but would never have guessed he would even be discussed as a draftee.

Which shows what I know, though I would ask you if you thought he would be drafted in March.  I will be watching and pulling hard for him on Thursday.  Drafted or not, he is a Falcon forever and always in our hearts.  Thanks for being a Falcon, Richaun.