Springs commits to Huskies

Power forward adds size to UConn lineup

Hope Springs eternal at UConn.

Richard Springs, a 6foot9 power forward from Brooklyn, has committed to the Huskies after an official visit to campus. Springs made his announcement on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

He’ll fill UConn’s 12th and final scholarship for the 201920 season.

Springs, 17, graduated in June from MacDuffie School in Granby, Mass., where he was a teammate of UConn incoming frosh guard James Bouknight. He was slated to do a postgrad year at Brewster Academy this upcoming season, but will instead reclassify back to 2019 and be ready to play for the Huskies.

According to 247sports.com’s composite rankings, Springs is a threestar prospect ranked No. 141 overall in the nation for the Class of 2020 and No. 23 among power forwards.

The Huskies are a bit thin up front this season. Sixfoot10 junior Josh Carlton figures to be one of the best big men in the American Athletic Conference, and redshirt frosh Akok Akok, a 69, fivestar prospect, is expected to be a rimprotecting presence.

Outside of that, however, the Huskies’ only returning true big man is 68 Isaiah Whaley, who played just 3.6 minutes per game last season. Tyler Polley, 68, is more of a perimeter player (38percent 3point shooter), and 67 Sidney Wilson is also a lean (177pound) small forward. Even Akok could also be more perimeteroriented on offense.

Springs could very well play a role as a rebounder and defender off the bench right off the bat this season.

Springs’ reclassification and commitment to UConn has been in the works for more than a month. Although Springs won’t play for Brewster coach Jason Smith this season, there are no hard feelings.

“Richie is a very versatile, skilled forward,” Smith

said in a text. “He’s played for some tremendous coachs during his high school years in (PSA Cardinals AAU director) Terrence ‘Munch’ Williams, (former MacDuffie coach) Jacque Rivera and (PSA coach) Isaac Green. He’s soeone who has a very bright future. Although I didn’t have an opportunity to coach him, I’m very excited about his future. I enjoyed getting to know him, as well as his mother, over the last few months. I look forward to following

his career.”

UConn has just 12 scholarships available for this season after docking itself a scholarship due to violations committed under former coach Kevin Ollie.

CC YOU LATER?

Speaking of UConn recruits, Yankee pitcher CC Sabathia made some waves on Sunday night when he said during a Sunday Night Baseball ingame interview that his son, Carsten, is being recruited by UConn.

Like many proud par

ents, however, Sabathia may have been exaggerating a little bit. UConn hasn’t been actively recruiting Carsten, a Class of 2022 player at Bergen Catholic in New Jersey, though it’s likely Sabathia received brochures from the school, as many prospective recruits have.

That’s not to say the Huskies won’t be recruiting Carsten Sabathia moving forward.

Associated Press file photo Richard Springs announced on Tuesday that he has committed to play at UConn.