The University of Richmond is expected to spread some good news Thursday, when men’s basketball practice officially tips off.
Jaden Daughtry has been cleared to participate fully in Spiders’ workouts, according to sources.
Daughtry, a 6-foot-7 forward who played at L.C. Bird High, Benedictine and Hargrave Military Academy before spending the last two seasons at Indiana State, hadn’t been fully involved in offseason basketball training for the last several weeks. Daughtry was working “through our medical clearance process,” UR responded in early August when asked by the Times-Dispatch about Daughtry’s practice status.
There were concerns on UR’s end regarding results of routine cardiac testing. Daughtry was granted medical clearance after undergoing extensive cardiac evaluations at multiple locations.
Daughtry was a two-time All-Metro selection (2021, 2022) before a post-graduate year at Hargrave. He then signed with Indiana State. Daughtry averaged 23.2 points at Benedictine in 2022, and 14.3 points at L.C. Bird in 2021.
The 230-pound lefty with two seasons of eligibility remaining is one of the Spiders’ key transfers. Daughtry averaged 12.9 points and 4.3 rebounds last season as an Indiana State sophomore.
Richmond comes off a 10-22 season (5-13 A-10) and Daughtry is projected as a clever, strong interior player who established in the Missouri Valley Conference that he is a reliable Division I scorer.
Spiders coach Chris Mooney during the offseason while assessing his transfers said, “Jaden Daughtry, of course, (was) extremely productive in his time at Indiana State.”
The 11 Spiders who have not played in a UR game include four transfers, three redshirt freshmen and four true freshmen.
In April, Daughtry told The Times-Dispatch, “I grew up playing center, I grew up playing the big man until I got to about eighth grade. I grew up working on a bunch of footwork and post moves around the basket, pivots, step-throughs. That definitely opened up my offense. And I’ve been working on my jump shot and my passing and my ball-handling.”
In Spiders’ workouts following concerns about Daughtry’s cardiac health, he was limited to shooting and low-intensity drills.
Mooney following last season said among UR’s priorities was the acquisition of “a little bit of a scoring punch.” Daughtry would appear to lead that list, based on his sophomore year at Indiana State. He shot 59% (led the MVC) with the majority of his offensive production occurring inside, keyed by footwork that freed him for high-percentage opportunities.
Daughtry made 12 of 30 3-point attempts last season for the Sycamores, playing 20 minutes a game off the bench (three starts in 32 games). That breakout sophomore season followed a freshman year during which Daughtry played in 12 games, totaling 37 points and 19 rebounds.
He was named one of the Missouri Valley Conference’s most improved players as a sophomore. The Sycamores finished 14-18, 8-12 in the MVC.
Grant Golden, a 6-10 former UR great, came back from a heart-related collapse at the Robins Center in December of 2016 as a freshman to become a foundational piece at Richmond for five more seasons (2016-22). Golden underwent a cardiac ablation procedure that addressed heart rhythm problems.
Golden ranks second on UR career scoring list (2,246), third on career rebounding list (1,015) and fourth on career assists list (476). He is the only player in school history with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.