This Week in College Hoops: Didi Richards

December 3, 2020
The GIST: With a handful of quarantines and postponements after just one week of play, college hoops is shaking off the rust in an unsettling way. But it’s not all bad news...get your tissues ready.
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This Week in College Hoops: Didi Richards
SOURCE: ROD AYDELOTTE/WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD

Tell me about the postponements: Men’s basketball seems to be following the lead of college football, which just surpassed over 100 postponed or canceled games because of COVID-19. Most recently, fresh off an upset victory over then No. 10 Kentucky, No. 19 Richmond has paused all activities, adding its Wednesday contest to a growing list of disrupted games. Yeesh.

Now give me the good news: Happy to! Back in October, Baylor guard DiDi Richards inadvertently collided with her teammate during a preseason practice. The freak collision temporarily paralyzed Richards just weeks before the season was set to tip off.

  • One doctor wasn’t sure that Richards would ever play again...but the reigning Defensive Player of the Year was determined. Just 38 days (!!!) after the accident, she made her season debut in No. 4 Baylor’s 67–62 victory over South Florida. Talk about grit!
  • There’s a great slate of ranked matchups in the next few days, but you already know we’re most excited to watch Richards take the floor again when the undefeated Bears battle No. 16 Arkansas on Sunday. Bring that energy, DiDi.