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Will Richard Becomes Third Florida Player Selected in NBA Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 11:53 PM ET

Going into the 2025 NBA Draft, a lot of eyes were on the starting backcourt of the Florida Gators. The three stars of the team and the leading scorers in Florida's run to a national title all graduated and were hoping to hear their names called at the Barclays Center.

First went Walter Clayton Jr. on Wednesday, as he went to the Utah Jazz with the No. 18 pick, then Alijah Martin was selected in round two with the 39th pick by the Toronto Raptors.

Finally, the last of the three-headed monster heard his name called on Thursday as Will Richard was taken with the No. 56 overall selection by the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors traded up three spots from No. 59 to No. 56 to draft Richard, who averaged 13.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game his senior year at UF.

Richard began his collegiate career at Belmont, where he played his freshman year before transferring to Florida for his final three seasons. The 6-foot-4 guard from Fairburn, Georgia was the first commit to head coach Todd Golden when he joined the staff in 2022.

Under Golden, Richard flourished, ultimately being a big part of the Gators' third national championship in program history. The sharpshooter totaled 1,275 points, 470 rebounds, 201 3-pointers and 148 assists in 108 games in his UF career.

With the trio of Gators being selected in this year's draft, it becomes the first time since 2007 that Florida has had three players picked in the same year. It is also noteworthy that from 2014-24, UF had just two players (Tre Mann and Scottie Lewis) selected in the draft, and now has three in the same year.

Richard will team up with perennial superstar Stephen Curry and draft-mate Koby Brea from Kentucky in Golden State.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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