STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific men's basketball team and Head Coach Leonard Perry have officially announced the final commitment of the 2022 signing class, Makai Richards of Oak Park, Calif.

A freshman transfer from Eastern Washington, Richards joins the Tigers after redshirting in his lone season with the Eagles. 

Before his one-year stint at Eastern Washington, Richards had a successful career at the high school level at Oak Park High School. In four seasons with the Eagles, the 6-10 forward played in 85 career games and tallied a total of 553 rebounds (6.5 per game), 445 points (5.2), and 165 blocks (1.9) while making 55 percent of his shots from the field. 

In his final season, he averaged a double-double with 10.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game while averaging four blocks and 1.3 assists. A force on both sides of the ball, he had a career-high 10 blocks while also tallying 59 field-goal percentage. His eight double-doubles during his senior season led the team, and he had a top-scoring game of 20. 

The Eagles finished the season with a 27-3 record and won the Coastal Canyon League title with a 10-0 record. Oak Park had a 22-game winning streak during Richard's senior season and advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA Tournament.

As a junior in 2018-19, he averaged 5.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks, with two double-doubles. He had a career-high 19 rebounds in one game and made 49 percent of his shots. Richards also helped guide the team to the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Tournament and finished the season with an 18-11 record.

"Makai brings immediate size to our front line," Perry stated regarding Richards. "He's coming from Eastern Washington, where they've done a ton of winning, and I believe it's a part of who he is. "He's young, so it's going to take time for him to get accustomed to the WCC, but athletically I feel like he fits our league."

For more information on incoming recruits and the upcoming 2022-23 season, follow Pacific men's basketball on social media and download the Pacific Athletics mobile app to keep up with news regarding your favorite Pacific Tiger teams.