Florida is back in the Final Four, thanks in large part to its three-headed monster at guard in All-American Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard.
The trio of senior guards leads the team in scoring, respectively, and helped Florida win its first SEC Tournament championship since the 2013-14 season on its way to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators are now in the Final Four for the first time since 2014 and looking to win the program’s first national championship since taking back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.
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All three seniors are transfers, but the first to arrive at Florida was Richard, the first player to commit to head coach Todd Golden and his staff after they took over in March 2022. Richard started 30 games and averaged 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds as a freshman for Belmont in 2021-22, but transferred after the season.
“Will Richard is an elite culture setter for a program,” Golden said in a press conference prior to the Sweet 16.
“Will’s an everyday guy,” Martin added. “He’s a leader. He comes in with a smile every day. Sometimes that’s all you need.”
Richard said that being in his third season with Florida, he can help his teammates with knowing what the coaches expect.
“Coach Golden and I came in with the same mentality: To bring Florida back to that national relevance,” he said. “For me, just making sure the guys know the standard that he wants, bringing that edge every day so we can be where we want to be.”
Though he declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, Richard ultimately chose to return to Florida for his senior season. He’s averaged 10 points or more each of his three seasons in Gainesville, including a career-high 13.3 points per game this season. Richard dropped 15 points in each of Florida’s tournament wins over UConn and Maryland.
Will Richard from downtown!
The Gators are on FIRE. pic.twitter.com/B9ZrNcqS27
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 28, 2025
Walter Clayton Jr. with the touchdown pass to Will Richard
@GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/K6FhSpw8Fv
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 28, 2025
He’s second on the team in minutes played (31.4) and is also averaging 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals (tops on the team) per game. His 124 steals as a Gator are most by a transfer in program history.
His game has given him a platform, and for Richard, the platform is a chance for him to tell people about Jesus.
“I just hope when people see me play they know it’s all God,” Richard told His Huddle in 2022. “Everything I’m able to do on the court comes from Him and without Him I’d be nothing.”
Richard grew up in Georgia and said his faith has always been an important part of his life. He talks about his Christian faith and efforts to give back to the community on social media, and in his Instagram bio he lists Ephesians 3:20, a Bible verse which reads, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
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His cover photo on X lists Proverbs 3:6, which he also has tattooed on his upper-right arm: The words “In All Thy Ways Acknowledge Him And He Shall Direct Thy Paths” — the King James Version of the verse — are next to three crosses.
He also posted on X that “God the greatest !!” when resharing a post about Florida reaching the Final Four.
God the greatest !! https://t.co/i7eZElebt2
— Will Richard (@willrxch) March 30, 2025
“I grew up in a family that always had God as number one, so faith has always been an important part of my life. My family really emphasized having a relationship with God even from a young age,” he told His Huddle.
That translated over to the basketball court as well.
“Faith plays a huge part in my basketball career,” he said. “Just knowing that all my gifts come from God makes me want to work much harder and give Him the glory every time I step on the court.”
Richard said he saw growth as a person and as a believer during his freshman year at Belmont, when he started to make his faith his own.
“I would say my faith really got stronger my freshman year of college because I was on my own so I couldn’t just go to church with my parents every week,” he told His Huddle. “I had to take the time out myself to spend time with God. Learning how to make time on my own really benefited me and allowed me to get closer to Him.”
Richard will take that faith into the Final Four, where Florida plays SEC rival and fellow No. 1 seed Auburn at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
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A Morning to Remember in San Antonio! 
(@paigebueckers)