BASKETBALL: Midland College’s Steven Richardson signs with MSUB
The Montana State University Billings men’s basketball program added another junior college transfer to the 2022-23 roster, as 6-foot-5 Midland College (TX) wing Steven Richardson signed his letter of intent with the Yellowjackets on Tuesday.
By Kyle Cajero
Montana State University Athletics
BILLINGS MONTANA - The Montana State University Billings men's basketball program added another junior college transfer to the 2022-23 roster, as 6-foot-5 Midland College (TX) wing Steven Richardson signed his letter of intent with the Yellowjackets on Tuesday.
"Steven will give us good size and experience on the perimeter," MSUB head men's basketball coach Mick Durham said. "He played in one of the best JUCO leagues in the country and will come to us prepared to compete at our level. I know he's been coached and taught right under Coach Pat Rafferty. We're looking forward to getting Steven with our new additions and our returning guys, I think he'll add a lot of versatility to our team."
A do-it-all player for the Midland College Chaparrals, Richardson averaged 10.7 points (on 44.3% shooting from the field) and 3.2 rebounds per game during his three-year junior college career. Richardson was one of the most reliable players for head coach Pat Rafferty – a former Eastern Montana College men's basketball player and coach who was part of the EMC coaching staff from 1981-1984. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Richardson played an extra season at Midland College; he will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Yellowjackets.
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"Steven is a very solid player," Rafferty, who led EMC to the Division 2 National Championship as an interim coach in the 1980-81 season, said. "He's a complete player…he's not a guy who get 20 points one night and disappear for three games, or will make a really good play in a game and then disappear for minutes in a game. He's just an all-around, solid basketball player."
This past season, Richardson averaged 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a team-high 1.4 steals per game while starting in 28 of the 29 contests. He was the Chaparrals' leading scorer for the second-straight season and he had 20 double-figure scoring nights throughout the season. For his efforts, Richardson was named a WJCAC All-Conference Honorable Mention selection in 2021-22. And, to top it all off, Richardson had his best season while switching from small forward to point guard for the first time in his collegiate career.
Rafferty said Richardson took the position change in stride.
"There's a big difference between being a point guard and playing like a point guard," Rafferty said. "Steven had a good understanding of getting the ball in, playing with pace and with tempo."
During the 2020-21 campaign, Richardson played in seven games and averaged 12.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for the Chaps. Despite limited action, his 12.3 points per game led the team and his 86 points on the season was tied for second-most on the squad.
"Steven endured me for three years," Rafferty said. "I think one of the biggest things that stands out about Steven is he wants to be coached. Nowadays, it's hard to find a player who will take correction, be bought in and be willing to get better each day. That was apparent when we first recruited him out of high school, but he really bought in to our program and he wasn't willing to just show up and go through the motions."
Richardson arrived at Midland College during the 2019-20 season and made an immediate impact for the Chaps: He broke into the starting lineup, averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and poured in a junior college career-high 28 points against Clarendon College on Jan. 23. His freshman season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
All told, Richardson's single-game highs include 28 points (Jan. 23, 2020 vs. Clarendon College), nine rebounds (three times), five rebounds (eight times) and four steals (Nov. 19, 2021 vs. Ranger College). Additionally, he shot 34% from three or better in all three seasons, and he had nine games with two or more made threes during the 2021-22 season.
"I think MSUB is a great fit for Steven and Steven will be a good fit for [Coach] Durham," Rafferty said. "I'm so happy for him, I think he's going to enjoy Billings and I think Steven is so deserving of this opportunity."
Originally from Sacramento, Calif., Richardson graduated from Grant Union High School in 2019, where he helped lead the Pacers to back-to-back CIF Division II Regional Semifinals appearances as an upperclassman. ESPN rated him as a three-star recruit and a top-40 prospect in the state of California.
Richardson is the third incoming recruit for MSUB, joining Dawson Community College transfer guards Jajuan and Jalen Tot in 2022-23.
MSUB is coming off a 13-15 campaign in which the Yellowjackets finished fourth in the conference with a 9-8 record – a program-best in the GNAC era. The Yellowjackets are expected to return three starters from last season, including GNAC Newcomer of the Year and unanimous first team all-conference selection Carrington Wiggins.