Tennessee guard Josh Richardson (1) moves against Mercer forward Daniel Coursey (52) during their NCAA basketball third-round tournament game, Sunday, March 23, 2014, in Raleigh.RALEIGH, N.C. – Perhaps Josh Richardson wishes every game he played was in the NCAA tournament.
Tennessee’s junior guard is known more for his defensive prowess, but he’s been an offensive force during the Volunteers’ run to the tournament’s second weekend.
The latest and best performance came on Sunday, when Richardson poured in a career-high 26 points to lead 11th-seeded Tennessee past 14th-seeded Mercer and into the Sweet 16 with an 83-63 win at PNC Arena.
“I was getting open looks, and I was hitting,” Richardson said after shooting 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-9 at the free-throw line, “And then I started asserting myself a little bit more once they started falling.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence,” he added. “I went through a little slump this season, but I’ve been in the gym a lot more lately. I feel like the goal’s getting wider and wider every game. I just keep seeing holes, and I keep taking [shots] that I wasn’t taking earlier this year.”