WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - William & Mary head coach Brian Earl announced the Tribe's final addition for the 2026-27 season in freshman guard/forward Chris Richards (Gaithersburg, Maryland / The Bullis School).
 
"Chris comes to us from a winning program in The Bullis School and comes highly recommended from legendary Bullis School head coach Bruce Kelley," Earl said. "He can impact both ends the court and brings a lot of energy, which is a key in how we play. Chris has a good wingspan, giving him the ability to defend multiple positions and rebound at a high level."
 
Richards is the second freshman to join the program this offseason and becomes part of a group of 13 newcomers to the Tribe roster. The previously announced additions include graduate students Josh Baldwin (Everett, Mass. / Belmont Hills/ Cornell) and Tre Blassingame (Auburn, Wash. / Auburn / Idaho); juniors Nilavan Daniels (St. Louis, Mo. / Link Year Prep / Providence), Stas Sivka (Celje, Slovenia / George Mason), John Roland Jr. (Coral Springs, Fla. / Coral Glades / Lynn), and Brian Carter Jr. (Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway/Walters State), sophomores ZZ Clark (Los Angeles, Calif. / DNA Prep Academy / UCSB), Jayden Forsythe (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Westtown School (Pa.) / West Virginia), Jesse McIntosh (Melbourne, Australia / Ivanhoe Grammar / South Dakota), Will Feagles (Notre Dame Prep / Pima CC), and Gavin Ward (James Island, S.C. / James Island / USC Salkehatchie); and freshman Nick Byrd (Hopewell, Va. / Hopewell / S3 Academy).
 
Richards, a 6-5, 185-pound guard/forward, spent last season at Air Force Academy Prep School and averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, while shooting 38% from 3-point range.
 
During his high school career, Richards helped lead The Bullis School to three ICA Championships. He was a key player for the Bulldogs as a senior, providing an all-around stat line at 6.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game for a program that ranked among the national top 30. Richards came up big in important moments, including hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point range and scoring 12 points in the IAC Championship game. He also received the Warren Flood Award for embodying hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity.
 
In its second season under Earl in 2025-26, the Tribe won 20 games for just the 10th time in school history. W&M was once again one of the fastest teams in the country, ranking first in the nation in average length of possession (13.7) and seventh in adjusted tempo (72.6). The Green and Gold was also among the nation's best in bench scoring (fourth at 34.8 per game), fastbreak points (seventh at 16.7 per game), assists (14th at 17.9 per game), free throws (14th at 19.0 per game), and scoring (31st at 83.1 per game).