Billy Richmond III is already the kind of player Arkansas fans latch onto fast, and this fall he has a real chance to become the centerpiece of the Razorbacks.
That was clear during Primetime at the Palace on Oct. 2, when the junior from Memphis, Tenn., drew a loud reaction from the crowd inside Bud Walton Arena. Richmond has been earning that kind of response since his freshman year, when he built his reputation as a hard-nosed, aggressive player who never backs off a challenge.
The image most people still carry from that 2024-25 season came in the regular-season finale against Mississippi State, when Richmond denied Riley Kugel on a potential game-winning shot and was then carried off the floor by his teammates. Arkansas won, and the victory wound up carrying major weight in the Razorbacks’ NCAA Tournament hopes.
Richmond’s role has grown steadily since then. He averaged 17.5 minutes per game as a rookie, then jumped to 27.5 last season.
Now, as a 20-year-old junior on a roster loaded with talented but inexperienced freshmen, he is stepping into a leadership role and is expected to start much of the year. On Oct. 12, he was named Preseason Third Team All-SEC.
"He's gotten better again," head coach John Calipari said of Richmond on Sept. 30.
"He leads. He's talking.
He's walking guys through. He's grabbing guys on the side.
I think again, people are going to watch and say, 'Man, they're going to love him because he is who he is.' He's that unicorn.
If everybody could play that hard, they would. But there's only a few that do the things that he does."
The defensive intensity has always been there. What has changed is Richmond’s offense, which became far more dependable last season and could still take another step forward now.
He improved from 52.3 percent shooting as a freshman to 56.3 percent as a sophomore, while his scoring climbed from 5.7 points per game to 11.2. He also sharpened his shot from deep and at the line, going from 12.5 percent on 3-pointers and 73.2 percent on free throws as a freshman to 25.9 percent from three and 78.4 percent at the foul line last season.
"[He's] now shooting the ball better," Calipari said. "He plays fast, but he's not in a hurry now. He's got a better feel... he may be our best player."
Richmond said Tuesday that his coaches have pushed him to let the ball fly more often and to be louder as a leader.
What makes him such a strong candidate to emerge as Arkansas’ top player is the range he brings. If the Razorbacks need points, he can get them quickly in transition, with mid-range jumpers or by muscling in tough shots around the rim. If they need a stop, he’s also the one who can supply it, after averaging 0.8 blocks and 1.1 steals per game last season.
That mix of force, polish and effort has already earned him the “Billy Goat” label. He may not be the greatest player in Arkansas history, but around the program he’s treated like one because he does just about everything asked of him and then some.
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