Richard Midgley
Encyclopedia
Richard Midgley is a retired British professional basketball
player who finished his career at the age of 26. His final club was Everton Tigers
of the British Basketball League
. The Great Britain
international previous played for Newcastle Eagles
after graduating from the University of California
.
's career began in his home country of England, where he played for his local club team Haywards Heath Eagles, as well as the junior teams of powerhouse club London Towers
and served as captain of the England Youth National team.
Midgley moved to California
in 1999 and played two seasons at Modesto Christian High School. He did not play his senior season after his high school league ruled him ineligible to compete due to his age.
, where he starred for the Cal Bears and was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team and set a Cal freshman record by connecting on 44.9 percent of his three-point attempts (44–98) as he started the Bears' final 22 games of the season. His best moment of the season came in the first round game of the NCAA Tournament
against North Carolina State
, when he sank a game-winning three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in the overtime to give the eight-seeded Cal Bears a dramatic 76–74 win. He was known as a senior leader.
After getting off to a slow start to the 2004–05 season, Richard came on much stronger during the Pac-10 season to average 12.9 points in 26 games, with a field-goal percentage of 38.6%.
Midgley played his senior year at Cal averaging 8.6 points in 30 games, in a season where the team advanced to the championship game of the 2006 Pac-10 Conference Tournament
, where the Bears eventually fell 72–51 to the eventual national runner-up UCLA
. Midgley played alongside Leon Powe
, tournament MVP and draftee to NBA franchise Boston Celtics
.
side Tenerife, but suffered from tendonitis of the knee which hampered his progress at the club. He was eventually released before even playing a game.
After a season of rehab Richard joined the Great Britain
squad in July 2007. The following month, upon the recommendation of GB team mate Andrew Sullivan
, Midgley signed for Newcastle Eagles
. He was officially released from his contract on December 13, 2007 amid rumours of a several heated conversations with coach Fabulous Flournoy
, and signed for league rivals Everton Tigers
a couple of days later. He led the team to the BBL Trophy but retired after the 2008–9 season and returned to the United States.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who finished his career at the age of 26. His final club was Everton Tigers
Everton Tigers
The Mersey Tigers are a professional basketball team based in the city of Liverpool, in England. The club was established in 2007 as a start-up franchise of the British Basketball League, the country's elite competition...
of the British Basketball League
British Basketball League
The British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the premier men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the league championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy....
. The Great Britain
Great Britain national basketball team
The Great Britain men's national basketball team, known as Great Britain or GB, is the national team for Great Britain in basketball...
international previous played for Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles is a British Basketball League team from Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2010 they have played all home games at the 3,000 capacity Sport Central arena at Northumbria University in the city...
after graduating from the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
.
Early career
The 6'3" Point GuardPoint guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
's career began in his home country of England, where he played for his local club team Haywards Heath Eagles, as well as the junior teams of powerhouse club London Towers
London Towers
London Towers was a professional basketball team based in London, England. They were one of the most successful and recognised British sports teams of the 1990s, collecting many titles in the British Basketball League as well as regularly competing in European competitions such as the Euroleague...
and served as captain of the England Youth National team.
Midgley moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1999 and played two seasons at Modesto Christian High School. He did not play his senior season after his high school league ruled him ineligible to compete due to his age.
College career
In 2002 Richard gained entry to the University of CaliforniaUniversity of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, where he starred for the Cal Bears and was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team and set a Cal freshman record by connecting on 44.9 percent of his three-point attempts (44–98) as he started the Bears' final 22 games of the season. His best moment of the season came in the first round game of the NCAA Tournament
2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
against North Carolina State
NC State Wolfpack men's basketball
The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member....
, when he sank a game-winning three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in the overtime to give the eight-seeded Cal Bears a dramatic 76–74 win. He was known as a senior leader.
After getting off to a slow start to the 2004–05 season, Richard came on much stronger during the Pac-10 season to average 12.9 points in 26 games, with a field-goal percentage of 38.6%.
Midgley played his senior year at Cal averaging 8.6 points in 30 games, in a season where the team advanced to the championship game of the 2006 Pac-10 Conference Tournament
2006 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-All Tournament Team:* Leon Powe, California – Tournament MVP* Brandon Roy, Washington* Chamberlain Oguchi, Oregon* Ayinde Ubaka, California* Jordan Farmar, UCLA* Arron Afflalo, UCLA-References:...
, where the Bears eventually fell 72–51 to the eventual national runner-up UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
. Midgley played alongside Leon Powe
Leon Powe
Leon Powe, Jr. is an American professional basketball power forward who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association . Drafted in 2006 by the Denver Nuggets, Powe grew up in Oakland, California and played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley...
, tournament MVP and draftee to NBA franchise Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
Professional career
In 2006 Richard was recruited out of Cal to Spanish LEB1Liga Española de Baloncesto
Liga Española de Baloncesto is the second league of the Spanish basketball league system behind the ACB. It is run by the FEB. The Liga Española de Baloncesto is divided into two categories and they are sponsored by Adecco. The names of the two leagues are Adecco Oro and Adecco Plata.The LEB league...
side Tenerife, but suffered from tendonitis of the knee which hampered his progress at the club. He was eventually released before even playing a game.
After a season of rehab Richard joined the Great Britain
Great Britain national basketball team
The Great Britain men's national basketball team, known as Great Britain or GB, is the national team for Great Britain in basketball...
squad in July 2007. The following month, upon the recommendation of GB team mate Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Michael Sullivan is an English author, editor, political commentator and blogger. He describes himself as a political conservative. He has focused on American political life....
, Midgley signed for Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles is a British Basketball League team from Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2010 they have played all home games at the 3,000 capacity Sport Central arena at Northumbria University in the city...
. He was officially released from his contract on December 13, 2007 amid rumours of a several heated conversations with coach Fabulous Flournoy
Fabulous Flournoy
Fabulous Flournoy is a player and the head coach for basketball team Newcastle Eagles, who compete in the British Basketball League....
, and signed for league rivals Everton Tigers
Everton Tigers
The Mersey Tigers are a professional basketball team based in the city of Liverpool, in England. The club was established in 2007 as a start-up franchise of the British Basketball League, the country's elite competition...
a couple of days later. He led the team to the BBL Trophy but retired after the 2008–9 season and returned to the United States.