UConn men’s basketball: PF Richie Springs commits, will reclassify to 2019

UConn men’s basketball’s roster for the 2019-20 season is set. On Tuesday, the Huskies earned a commitment from Richie Springs, a power forward originally in the class of 2020 who will reclassify to 2019.

Springs, listed at 6-foot-9, is rated as a three-star prospect by the major recruiting services and played his high school ball at MacDuffie Academy in Massachusetts and with PSA Cardinals on the AAU circuit. At both places, Springs played with fellow UConn freshman James Bouknight.

Over the past year, Springs’ stock has been up and down. At one point, he was rated as the No. 64 player in the class of 2020 by Rivals but fell after a rough start to the AAU season. However, he is back on the rise after a strong summer season, where he averaged 13.4 rebounds in five games at Peach Jam.

The Brooklyn native chose the Huskies over offers from the likes of Illinois, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. John’s, to name a few.

With Springs’ commitment and reclassification into the 2019 class, UConn has now used all 11 scholarships for the upcoming season — the team lost its 12th scholarship as a self-imposed penalty for violations that occurred under Kevin Ollie. Here’s how the Huskies’ roster breaks down:

• Five guards (Christian Vital, Alterique Gilbert, Brendan Adams, James Bouknight, Jalen Gaffney)
• Five forwards (Tyler Polley, Isaiah Whaley, Sidney Wilson, Akok Akok, Richie Springs)
• One center (Josh Carlton)

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With Carlton the only post player locked in to the starting lineup, Springs will have a chance to earn solid minutes from the start either as a starter if he really impresses, or more realistically, as a backup down low.