It was five o’clock in the morning, and former Tennessee guard Josh Richardson was in the midst of his freshman season.

Little did he know what was in store for him next.

“We had to run 23 suicides, and I was just like ‘I can’t believe this,’” Richardson said. “Like, ‘what did I get myself in to?’”

That kind of question defined the current Miami Heat guard’s early years on campus under then-Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin. The reason? Someone on the team had been late for class.

The early-morning grind didn’t stop there. Next task? Neyland Stadium, regardless of whether the gates were left unlocked or not. In fact, that was the least of the coaching staff’s concerns.

“One of our coaches parked the truck next to the gate so we could step over (the gates),” Richardson said. “All so we could run stadiums and kill ourselves for a couple hours.”

While uninspiring at the time, it was experiences such as those that have helped mold Richardson into the player that he is today.

One of the NBA’s rising young stars, the Edmond, Oklahoma, native is enjoying his best season to date — averaging 17.4 points per game and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also proved to be very durable, missing just two games despite logging 35 minutes per night.

Aside from his improvement on the offensive end, it’s the other side of the ball that Richardson feels he’s improved in the most, all starting when he arrived in Knoxville back in 2011.

“I’d say Coach (Martin) implanting the defensive principles in me because when I got to school, I didn’t really play defense that much,” Richardson said with a chuckle. “In my first couple years, I wasn’t getting on the court unless I was playing defense and locking people up.”

It was from that point on that he began to hone in on his defensive skills, leading to his selection by the Miami Heat with the 40th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Since then, he’s evolved into one of basketball’s premier perimeter defenders while maintaining a career 37 percent rate from beyond the arc.

While his play on the court has captured the attention of fans, it’s Richardson’s growth as a leader that’s impressed his veteran teammates the most.

“He’s growing as a leader more and more as he gets comfortable, just letting his voice be heard,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. “He’s taking initiative to talk more and obviously his game has grown.”

That wasn’t necessarily the case during his collegiate career, however.

Playing under the likes of Cameron Tatum, Trae Golden, Skylar McBee and Jordan McRae during his early seasons, Richardson wasn’t accustomed to being relied upon in that role.

It wasn’t until Donnie Tyndall’s arrival prior to his senior season did he know what would be expected of him that year. The transition wasn’t always smooth, but it paid dividends.

“Just how much I had to grow that year because I got thrusted into a bigger leadership role than I had experienced before,” Richardson said. “Being able to play with all those young guys, a new coach and a different position really taught me how to deal with adversity.”

That adversity included a 16-16 regular season, coupled with a second-round exit in the SEC Tournament in his final season on Rocky Top.

Despite that, Richardson enjoyed the best individual season of his collegiate career, earning First-Team All-SEC honors while collecting his second straight SEC All-Defensive team selection.

He currently ranks third in program history in games played and places in the top 10 in minutes, starts and steals, along with helping the Vols reach the Sweet 16 in 2014.

Even his current coach has taken notice, and Richardson’s play has become an active conversation amongst Miami’s coaching staff.

“He’s done it in both areas, and it’s something we’ve been talking about,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And he’s still defending the other team’s best player. He’s grown into that and I think it’s a great challenge for him at this point in his career.”

Absent from both NBA All-Defensive teams a year ago, Richardson has yet to receive national recognition for his ability, but that’s far from his concern.

The ability and tenacity on the defensive end is what has gotten him to this point in his professional career.

It’s Richardson’s hunger to improve that continues to drive him both on and off the court.

“That’s why we’re excited about him,” Spoelstra said. “He’s continued to show that he can improve.”