Richard McBride

Ilinois website for McBride
http://www.illiniboard.com/recruiting/player.php?ID=23

6/12: "The Illinois Fightin’ Illini landed a significant commitment on Thursday. One of the nation’s finest scorers, Richard McBride, made it official: he’s going to Champaign. “I’ve liked Illinois since the 8th grade," McBride said. - Insiders Hoops

5/29: "We tend to be skeptical of scoring guards with limited range, but McBride’s strength and body control enable him to score effectively even when his 3-pointer isn’t falling (which is most of the time). Few guards are strong enough to keep him out of the paint when he builds up a head of steam, and once he’s there, he can pull up and knock down the short-to-medium range jumper with the best of them. He is also strong enough to absorb plenty of contact and still elevate and control himself well enough to finish under duress and in traffic. He’s going to be a high-major player in any event, and is a prototypical Big Ten type of strong off-guard, but if can start hitting that 3-pointer consistently, he will quickly become as good a scoring guard as there is in this class." - The Wagon Online (Virginia)

5/27: "What a physical specimen this young man is. Cut, muscular, great physique. Reminds one of a cross between Hersey Hawkins and Frank Williams. Same guy who made the Randle comment asked if Richard was a football player also. Looks like a big NFL strong safety, not a high school 2G. Beautiful shooting form, rotation, and release from the arc. Good handles, and a throw-back mid-range floater move. From 10 feet in, that floater has almost zero rotation and just drops through the net, or hits the rim dead and then drops in." - Illiniboard report, unknown writer

5/23: "According to Mark Tupper from WSOY radio and the Herald & Review, it seems as if Richard McBride may have some academic problems for his senior season. Mark noted on his weekly radio show that McBride has to take some summer classes and that they are vital to his being eligible for 2003. Mark made a point to note that attendence is very important in these summer courses."

5/19: Listed as the 25th best player in his class. - PrepStars

5/19: "McBride, though scoring 31 against Cincy AAU Red in the semis, didn't have a good weekend. For the most part, his jumper wasn't falling. And he wasn't doing much off the dribble or away from the ball. McBride is a strongly built athlete, but wasn't enforcing his will on his opponents when his jumper went limp. When he's on, which is usually the case, he's very good at firing up 3. But without his jumper, he was often invisible on the court. Still, everyone is entitled to an off-game or an off-weekend. There will be better weekends for the talented McBride. And with these comments, you should note that Ft. Sooy-No Limit did win a very competitive tournament." - ESPN.com's Spiece notes

5/12: "SG prospect Richard McBride of Springfield, Ill., does not fit the profile of the elite wing prospect because he does not own the athletic burst that got everyone excited about such players as Corey Benjamin, Damien Wilkins and Jackie Manuel in past years. But McBride has tremendous strength and understands how to use his body for leverage. He is an effective perimeter shooter. He will be one of the top recruits in the class of 2003." - DeCourcy, Sporting News

Pic:
http://forums.illiniboard.com/illhoop/messages/263048.html

5/8: McBride is a consensus Top 20 player. - Hoop Scoop

5/8: "Illinois leads for McBride" - Bullseye, All Star Report

5/8: "His spectacular 31 point effort against Cincy Red in the semi-finals made up for an otherwise subpar weekend, in my opinion. Richard in that game used his upper body strength and quickness to explode to the hoop and score or hit his patented mid-range pull-up jumper. Defensively, McBride was a warrior, anticipating passes all weekend and converting turnovers flawlessly. However, as evidenced this weekend, Richard has to resist standing around the three point line firing away mercilessly." - All Star Report

5/7: "Another player who's been well thought of since his freshman year, McBride is a well-built shooting guard. He can handle the ball, create his own shot and he shoots it well and with deep range. But McBridge is more apt to take the long-range J than attack the basket. Still, there was no denying his ability at Kingwood." - ESPN.com

5/7: "Sooy's 2003 wing was huge in the semifinal win over Cincinnati AAU Red. McBride scored 31 points including 7 3-pointers. All in all, it was a fine weekend for McBride despite the fact that he was playing hurt. He has some sort of an injury to his elbow on his shooting arm." - Insiders Hoops
http://theinsidershoops.theinsiders.com/

5/5: "McBride was disappointing, he has a great body but his percentage of outside shots made is so poor when I have watched and he just keeps putting them up there. Still love his strength and ability to get pull up 6-8 footers." - Peegs

5/4/02: "Inside sources say Cincinnati and Illinois are big time players with Richard McBride. Tennessee, UConn and Louisville are also in there." - Insiders Hoops

5/1: "Despite his husky frame, McBride has great quickness and a silky smooth stroke from long range. He can spot up or shoot off the dribble. He can also score in bunches and has good elevation on his shot for his build. His strengths include his ability to drive to the basket and he is an equally strong rebounder. McBride has to be considered one of the best players in the junior class." - Tulsa Sports Web

4/25: Illinois has offered. "He is also considering Maryland, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Louisville and Tennessee." - Rivals Hoops

4/22/02: "Springfield, Ill., junior star Richard McBride took a pass off the backboard from sophomore teammate Shaun Livingston and hammered an eyes-at-the-rim dunk while playing for his Ft. Sooy "No Limit" club team at Eddie Ford's Kentucky HoopStar Classic.

The jam was but a glimpse. Of McBride's tantalizing potential. Of his violent athleticism. Of his rugged power. And of most of the things he failed to show on a consistent basis last weekend in Villanova, Pa., at the Charlie Weber Invitational.

But the awe-inspiring alley-oop -- and McBride's overall play this weekend -- proved something: The high-major recruit is becoming a high-major basketball talent. "If you saw him his freshman year," said Dave Telep, a national recruiting expert for TheInsidersHoops.com, "he was just physically bigger. Now his game is starting to develop to the point where he doesn't have to overpower people to be successful."

Sure enough, McBride's coming along, which seems strange to say about a kid being recruited by Illinois, Maryland, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Louisville, UConn and a host of other national-caliber programs. It's not as if he hasn't been successful in the past.

The muscular 6-foot-3 guard was a physical specimen as a freshman. As a sophomore, McBride was an all-state pick in basketball-rich Illinois, and he was a repeat selection this past winter. He averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists as a junior, teaming with Arizona signee Andre Iguodala in guiding coach Craig Patton's Lanphier High School squad to a 32-2 record and a spot in the state championship game.

Somewhere in between the end of the high school season and the beginning of the spring and summer circuit, through, maybe McBride finally slowed down. Maybe he just got tired.

There's no break in the year-round basketball calendar these days. Not for sought-after prospects like McBride. "During the week," he said here at Male, "I just go to school and get sleep. That's it. Coach tells me to get my rest."

"When fatigue sets in, you've got to get your second wind," Ft. Sooy boss Verdell Jones said after McBride struggled in a sluggish Saturday morning game against the Indiana Shooters. "But that's about to happen for Rich. He's going to step up." Indeed he did.

McBride parlayed the dunk into standout efforts Saturday against Team Ohio and Sunday against the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Association. He tallied 19 first-half points en route to a confident 29 against Ohio. "That's Rich, man," Jones said. "I told him, 'I've got to have you be big this game,' and he came out ready to play. That's the thing: He can score points in bunches."

And that's the plan for the rest of the spring and summer. No Limit is scheduled to be in Houston next weekend -- Division I coaches will be able to evaluate the talent at Hal Pastner's sanctioned Kingwood Classic -- and McBride and Company are expected to make stops in Fort Wayne, Ind., for the Spiece Run 'N' Slam in May, the Atlanta Basketball Classic in June and the Las Vegas Big Time in July.

McBride's also ready for an individual appearance at the Adidas ABCD Camp in early July. "I'm trying to work on everything," he said. "Everything in my game needs improvement." Most of it is darn good already. "Rich is incredible when he's really playing," Jones said. "He can go left or right, his range is 25 to 27 feet, and he's so strong in finishing -- he can flat-out get it done."

"He's starting to grasp what it means to be not just an athlete but a basketball player," Telep added. "I like the way he's coming along."

From superstar athlete to superstar basketball player. "Rich is really impressive," Livingston said. "You see somebody, and you have your first impressions and everything, but he gets even better the more you see him. He can put on a show. I think he's going to get up there in the rankings this summer." Especially if Livingston keeps throwing him lobs off glass." - CBS Sportsline

4/21: "Richard McBride might or might not end up at Illinois. He doesn't know yet. But the 6-3 junior shooting guard does know one thing. "People are asking about Illinois," the Springfield, Ill., prospect said Saturday morning in Louisville. "They've been saying they're my leader for the last couple of weeks. They're not a leader. I'm getting sick of all that stuff." The muscular McBride did, however, meet with Fighting Illini coach Bill Self Friday afternoon at Lanphier High School. But that doesn't mean others aren't involved. His list includes Maryland, Tennessee, Oklahoma, CINCINNATI, Louisville and UConn. McBride snapped out of a virtually April-long slump Saturday here at the Kentucky HoopStar Classic by hitting for 19 first-half points and 29 overall in his Ft. Sooy "No Limit" AAU club's afternoon pool play finale. "That's Rich, man," Ft. Sooy coach Verdell Jones said. "I told him before the game, 'I've got to have you be big in this game,' and he came out ready to play. That's the thing: He can score in bunches." McBride teamed with Arizona signee Andre Iguodala to lead coach Craig Patton's Lanphier squad this winter, averaging 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists." - Basketball America

4/17: "Played for Ft. Sooy AAU. Big, strong power guard with a thick build. McBride has an effortless release on deep jumpers, and he quietly piles up stats. Runs the floor well. Not a big time leaper, and he looked tired late in games this past weekend. Didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but that may be an aberration. Nice handle at the two spot. May be able to play some minutes at the point as his ball-handling improves. Illinois, Tennessee, Maryland, Oklahoma, Louisville, Connecticut and Georgetown are the leaders right now, and he is mulling over a scholarship offer from the Fighting Illini." - Basketball News.com



4/16: "I think Illinois is the leader for his services and someone is going to have to beat the Illini there." - Insiders, Dave Telep

4/5: Vince Baldwin named Richard the second best point guard in the Midwest for the High School Class of 2003. - PrepSpotlight

Pic:
http://highschoolelite.com/2003/mcbride.html