Published: 07:12 AM, Fri Dec 14, 2012
Southern Lee alum Akeem Richmond finds place at East Carolina after transfer
By Bret StrelowStaff writer
"Dream chaser, keep chasin'. Grind will turn into your shine, be patient"
- rapper Meek Mill, "Dreamchasers"
Akeem Richmond left his first East Carolina workout with tears in his eyes.
The start of the 2011-12 season lay ahead in the not-too-distant future, but Richmond was working off a different timetable than his teammates. As a Rhode Island transfer, he knew he'd have to redshirt before finally making his debut in 2012-13.
It was a long wait that required plenty of patience with no immediate payoff. Richmond chatted frequently with his father, Eric, and listened to tracks from rapper Meek Mill's mixtapes to stay motivated.
"My dad told me to treat it like I'm a boxer," Richmond said. "Boxers train for months and months and finally fight nine months later. Train really hard to be prepared when the season comes around."
He resumed his college career two months ago and is averaging 8.3 points as a junior reserve for ECU, which will take a 6-1 record into its game at 21st-ranked North Carolina on Saturday.
Richmond graduated from Southern Lee High School in 2009 as the second-leading scorer in N.C. prep history, and his 3-point shooting has provided the Pirates with instant offense off the bench during their encouraging start.
"It was bittersweet sitting out last year, but I feel like it helped me out a lot," Richmond said. "I've gotten bigger, faster, stronger, and I'm getting adjusted to playing the game again. It's a good feeling."
Still got it
Six minutes into ECU's last game, a 111-59 win against St. Andrews, Richmond checked in for the first time. Nine seconds passed before he recorded an assist on a 3-pointer, and he made a 3 of his own on the next possession.
The Pirates hit a school-record 18 3s that night, and Richmond went 5-for-10 from long range while posting 15 points, one off his season high.
He was scoring in bunches like he had at Southern Lee, where he totaled 2,846 points to rank behind only JamesOn Curry in NCHSAA history, and Rhode Island, where he averaged 9.0 points in two seasons.
"Akeem gives us a guy that can make tough shots and score the ball with some range," ECU coach Jeff Lebo said. "One thing we're trying to work with him on is being a better all-around player.
"He's got speed with the ball, has learned to pass better to the open guy and is learning better what a good shot is. We give him decent freedom to take shots when he's open. Just having him on the floor, people have to defend him and stay close to him."
Charlotte, Western Kentucky and South Florida were in the running for Richmond before he committed to Rhode Island, and every other player on that 2009-10 team was from the northeast or abroad. He started the first 26 games of his sophomore year for coach Jim Baron, notably scoring 17 of his 20 points after halftime and helping the Rams erase a 17-point deficit in a 71-70 win against Charlotte.
Richmond was homesick, though, and he also recognized that Virginia transfer Billy Baron, the coach's son, would be eligible to play at shooting guard in 2011-12. Richmond decided to transfer and considered several schools, including the College of Charleston, East Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Tulane and Texas.
He picked the Pirates, but not because his father had played two seasons of football for them. ECU assistant Michael Perry had recruited Richmond in high school, and he liked the idea of being coached by Lebo, who was a standout guard at North Carolina in the 1980s.
"It felt like a good fit, a good situation," Richmond said.
Work ethic
In talking to his father, Richmond realized the redshirt year would be a wasted one if he didn't use it to improve.
That meant practicing like playing time was at stake.
"A lot of times, a player transfers, he's thinking the same thing, that it doesn't do any good to jump on loose balls, because I'm not playing and it doesn't matter how hard I practice," Richmond's dad said. "You can't look at it like that. You have to keep them motivated."
Richmond worked to increase his strength and quickness. He put up extra shots in the gym. And he improved his ball-handling skills so he could contribute at both guard positions.
Three games into this season, the Pirates were in desperate need of a spark. Enter Richmond.
ECU trailed UNCG by 14 points early in the second half, and Richmond scored 14 points during a 24-8 run that helped lift his team to a 76-73 win. He made three 3-pointers and accounted for 11 consecutive Pirate points during one stretch that covered a little more than two minutes.
The grind had, at long last, given way to shine.
Staff writer Bret Strelow can be reached at strelowb@fayobserver.com or 486-3513.