Hunterdon Central's Richardson is the CN Boys Basketball Player of the Year

Tucker Richardson has come a long way since scoring a total of four points as a freshman.

As Richardson has evolved, the Hunterdon Central High School boys basketball team has evolved along with him. Four years ago, the Red Devils posted a 10-15 record, and the year after that, they finished 12-13. Last season, Richardson's junior year, Hunterdon Central went 24-5 and set a new school record for wins in a season, as well as advanced to the NJSIAA Central Group IV semifinals.

This season, Richardson helped to lead the Red Devils even further. Hunterdon Central finished with a record of 26-4, which again set a new school record for wins. The team also won the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament title for the first time in eight years, won the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title and won the program's first sectional title with a victory over Freehold Township.

"It was amazing, we kind of had a check list at the beginning of the year and we said we want to win all three, and that’s kind of tough because we’ve never won county and league in the same year, and obviously Central has never won a section, so it was big expectations but everybody bought in," Richardson said. "As we went down the list it was fun to see how much we were accomplishing, so it was great."

Richardson led the team in points, assists rebounds and steals this year, which is why he's the 2016-17 Courier News Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

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"You can’t quantify how much he meant, he led us in multiple categories this year, points, rebounds, assists, steals. He’s such a winning player, he does a lot on the court that you can’t teach, he always has a knack for being in the right place and making the right play," Hunterdon Central coach Mike Falco said. "He lives and breathes the game, he just wasn’t our captain this year, he was a great example for the younger guys to follow and he was a pleasure to coach, he makes me look like I know what I’m doing. A lot of the plays he was involved in end up working and I can’t quantify how much we’re going to miss him, not just because he does so much for us on both ends of the floor but because he was a great example for our program."

Richardson, who has been playing basketball since he was four or five years old, learned from last year's seniors what it takes to be a leader on the court. Those lessons came in handy this year as he was looked to to take on more of a leadership role and start creating shots for his teammates.

"I think my role this year was more to step up as a leader and be the one that created shots for the team and for myself," Richardson said. "So I think that was the transition and I think as the year went on it got easier and I think everyone kind of came together and stepped into everybody’s roles, but I think that the clear thing was to definitely lead the team as a senior, because I’ve been there for a while, and make everybody else better."

Last season also played a big part in Hunterdon Central's success this year. Last year the Red Devils advanced to the H/W/S Tournament final, but fell to four-time defending champion Pope John, 73-66. They also made it to the Central Group IV semifinals, where they fell to Freehold Twp. by only four points, 55-51.

This season, Hunterdon Central knew what it took to win big games and the experience it gained from last season's heartbreak pushed them to victory.

"I think the reason we were able to get past that bump that we obviously struggled with last year was just because we had been there before," Richardson said. "I think last year’s team, winning was very new to that team and it was something that was new to us and playing late in the state tournament was new to us, so when we lost to Freehold last year it was terrible, but I think that’s what really helped us this year. I think that’s what allowed us, when we got down in close games, especially in the state tournament, to keep pushing and dig through some of those really tough games."

With the experience Hunterdon Central has gained the last few years, and the expectations Richardson, the other seniors and the coaching staff have instilled, the Red Devils look to keep moving forward in the years to come and win a Group title.

"I think the last two years that I’ve been here and me and the other seniors, the guys that have played the last two years, I think we’ve definitely left a winning kind of mindset with the younger guys, and it started last year," Richardson said. "I think those seniors brought it on to me and I hope leaving this year that that winning mindset will pass on to the juniors and sophomores from this year’s team and I think that the program is just getting better and better and I think that’s great for the school."

Richardson said his college plans are still up in the air, but he knows that the experience he gained from playing at Hunterdon Central, and the journey he's taken from bench-riding freshman to sectional title-winning senior will only help him as he transitions to the game of college basketball.

"I think just these last few years, just bringing a winning attitude, and I think I’ve been on teams at Hunterdon Central that have really pushed me and I think that we’ve played in a lot of big games also in the last few years that maybe Central teams haven’t always been in, so I think playing in bigger games against really good competition at times is really going to help me at the next level," Richardson said. "And just the style that we also play, we play team basketball, everybody is getting each other involved and I think wherever I go at the next level that’s going to be important because it’s not just going to be me, it’s going to be a group of guys who are trying to accomplish something."

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego

COURIER NEWS BOYS BASKETBALL FINAL TOP 10

1. Gill St. Bernard's (25-4)

2. Hunterdon Central (25-4)

3. Rutgers Prep (15-11)

4. Union Catholic (17-11)

5. Bridgewater-Raritan (20-8)

6. Immaculata (15-12)

7. Delaware Valley (18-9)

8. Scotch Plains-Fanwood (22-6)

9. Bound Brook (20-7)

10. North Plainfield (18-7)