STORRS — Richie Springs left a few things behind at UConn. His unique contributions stay in Storrs with former teammates and coaches. The NCAA- and UConn-issued championship rings he picked up on First Night, along with the diploma he earned last spring, are his to take with him through life.
The next stop is Quinnipiac.
“I’ve been there over the summer,” Springs said Friday, on the court at Gampel Pavilion after First Night festivities ended. “I’ve gotten close to all the guys, the coaches, I feel comfortable there now. I feel I’m going to have a good year. Everything is good.”
Springs, 6 feet 9, played only 77 minutes over three seasons, four academic years at UConn, making 11 baskets, grabbing 16 rebounds, nearly all of it at the end of long-decided games. No player goes to college to sit on the bench, and Springs, from Brooklyn, a prep teammate of James Bouknight, is no different. What is different is that he refused to stop working, refused to take the easy way out and break his promise to his family that he would walk out of Storrs with his degree.
“Growing up, I was always told just to fight through adversity,” he said. “And not to run away from any problems. As a man, you shouldn’t run away from any problem, you just embrace it and learn from it and hopefully just turn into a better man. That’s how I took it, so every year, Coach (Dan Hurley) told me the same thing, to stay and fight for a spot. And that’s what I did.”
Honored on Senior Night, receiving a great ovation when he went in late against Providence, Springs fulfilled his commitment to UConn and walked away with respect from coaches and teammates, and a degree in general studies.
In between, he experienced the March Madness he signed on for, when Hurley was promising it, getting in for a minute or two at the end of all six NCAA Tournament games.
“It was an unbelievable experience, a once-in-a-lifetime experience to have,” Springs said. “Even though I didn’t get as much playing time, I still embraced it. I learned a lot from the guys, from Coach (Dan) Hurley. It was an experience to move forward with it.
Now, it’s time for Springs to fight a different fight, a fight he can win downstate at Quinnipiac, where he will play as a grad student.
Tom Pecora, the Bobcats new coach, saw Springs play as a sophomore at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn, six-plus years ago. Without much game tape to look at, Pecora was able to see some video of Springs in UConn practice. It was personal contact that mattered.
𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗦
Richie Springs (@richie_springs) is ready to help #BobcatNation get to the big dance
"I'm excited to win this year… I feel like I can bring a lot of good qualities here."#BobcatNation x #MAACHoops pic.twitter.com/lLqUomSKHZ
— Quinnipiac Men's Basketball (@QU_MBB) September 1, 2023
“I was exploring more of his mindset moving forward in this process,” Pecora said. “Does he understand, you’re stepping down a level but at the same time, guys can really play. Over the course of my career, I’ve had greater success with transfers who came from the same level or moved up, as compared to a lot of guys who moved down. A lot of guys who move down, they think ‘I’m better than everybody.’ But he is very respectful of that, and his work ethic has been tremendous. The work defines the man, that’s a term we use all the time, and he’s putting the work in.”
Up to now, Springs’ game has been a mystery. That should end next month, when the Bobcats open the season Nov. 6 against Coast Guard, then play CCSU. Pecora, who replaced Baker Dunleavy after last season, liked what he saw in an early scrimmage. There will be rust to shake off, how could there not be? But Pecora envisions Springs playing 25 minutes a game for Quinnipiac, with an emphasis on stretching the defense at the 4-spot.
“The first thing people will say is, ‘wow, I didn’t think he could shoot the ball like that,” Pecora said. “He’s got 3-point range, good form on his shot. He can extend defenses.”
Springs committed to UConn, after reclassifying, in August 2019, sat out his freshman year as a academic redshirt, then came the pandemic. By last season Springs became an important behind-the-scenes voice, so much so that Tristen Newton was calling him a “glue guy.” And Hurley credited him with helping install, by his example, the “culture” as the coaching staff was building it.
“That meant a lot,” Springs said. “Coach Hurley is a good guy, he’s always going to tell you the truth. That’s what I love about him. It could be hard sometimes, but it’s always going to be the truth and as a man you’ve got to take it and grow from it. The biggest thing he always told me was ‘attack life. Don’t let life come to you, you’ve got to attack life.’”
Teammates listened when Springs spoke at UConn, and the smart ones will listen at Quinnipiac, especially now that he has two chunky pieces of jewelry to show them, and can share what it took to get them:
“Toughness,” he said. “Being tough, getting through adversity. There will be games you might be down at the half, you can’t be down on yourself. Got to keep fighting, keep pushing. That’s what I learned here at UConn.”
If Richie Springs is able to get all he has earned in Hamden, in the MAAC, phrases like “even though I didn’t get the playing time” will be absent from his interviews. He’ll be attacking a new challenge, fighting a new fight, expecting to win.
“I really feel like they’re going to help me develop as a player,” Springs said. “They’re really going to believe in me there and give me a chance. I just want to be a totally different player, just grow and showcase my talents, all by abilities at Quinnipiac and what I learned form (UConn) and bring a winning culture to Quinnipiac, win a MAAC championship.”
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