Joe Richey

Who was Joe Richey?

Joseph "Joe" Richey was an American basketball player. He was an All-American at Brigham Young University and later played in the Amateur Athletic Union.

Joe Richey, a 6'1 forward from St. Johns, Arizona, played at BYU from 1950–53. Richey was a three-year starter and led the Cougars to berths in both the National Invitation Tournament and NCAA tournament as a sophomore in 1951. While the Cougars bowed out in the second round in the NCAAs, they won the NIT – defeating Dayton 62–43 in the final. This team is regarded one of the best in BYU history.

As a junior and senior, Richey led the Cougars in scoring at averages of 14.6 and 17.6 points per game respectively. He was known for his quickness and was a strong rebounder for his size, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game for his career. As a senior in 1952–53, Richey again led the Cougars to the NIT, though this time the Cougars stay was a short one, ending with a first round loss to Niagara. Richey was named a second team consensus All-American at the conclusion of the season. Richey finished with 1,178 points for his BYU career.

Joe Richey was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1953.