University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts VMI Sunday Night At 6 P.M.
12/29/2007 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2007
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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond men's basketball team returns to action after a 10-day layoff when the Spiders host VMI on Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. in the Robins Center.
Richmond (5-6) is coming off a big home win against Old Dominion on Dec. 19 and will look to snap the three-game winning streak that VMI (6-5) brings to the Robins Center.
The game can be watched online here at RichmondSpiders.com. Listen to the game on 93.1 the WOLF FM and here at RichmondSpiders.com with Bob Black and Greg Beckwith. Sunday's game will not be available on ESPN Radio 950 due to the Washington Redskins game.
THE LATEST
Quotable
Freshman Kevin Anderson on the Spiders looking to improve on rebounding, after Richmond out-rebounded Old Dominion 31-26 on Dec. 19: "Most importantly we had to control the offensive glass. We've been getting killed on the offensive glass - just rebounding period - and we knew Old Dominion outrebounded their opponents, I think every game, so we've been doing a lot of rebounding drills in practice. If you control the glass, you control the game."
Stealing The Show
The Spiders are second in the Atlantic 10 in steals per game at 9.27 per contest. Richmond has 102 steals, which leads the conference. Three Spiders rank in the top-15 in the Atlantic 10 in steals, led by sophomore David Gonzalvez at 1.64 per game. Sophomore Ryan Butler and freshman Kevin Anderson are tied for 15th at 1.55 steals per game. Five different Spiders are averaging over a steal per game. Joining Gonzalvez, Butler and Anderson are senior Oumar Sylla (1.36) and sophomore Kevin Hovde (1.09).
Tale Of Two halves
The Spiders have clearly been a first-half team this season, being no worse than down one point at the half in 10 of 11 games. Richmond has scored 353 points in the first session, outscoring its opponents 32.1 to 29.2 in the opening period while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from behind the arc. The Spiders cool off in the second half, having scored just 298 points (55 less than in the first half) and being outscored 33.7 to 27.1 after the break. In the second half, Richmond is shooting 40.1 percent from the field (down three percent from the first half) and is connecting on just 31.1 percent from three (down 4.9 percent from the first half). Richmond has let leads of 17 (with 13 minutes to play), 11 (with four minutes to play) and seven (with three minutes to play) slip away in the second half in three of its six losses.
A-10 On The Rebound
After a few down years the Atlantic 10 looks to be back among the nation's elite conferences. The conference, which has had at least four teams in the NCAA Tournament on five occasions since 1996, will look to put three or more teams in the NCAAs for the first time since 2004. That season Richmond was one of four A-10 teams in the Big Dance and No. 1 ranked Saint Joseph's and Xavier advanced to the Elite 8. This season, the Atlantic 10 has ranked as high as fifth in the RPI. Xavier and Rhode Island have been ranked in both polls and the conference currently has four teams receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
Three Flowing
The Spiders are shooting just 33.6 percent from behind the three-point arc through 11 games and are taking 40.1 percent of their shots from three. Richmond has shot at least 18 three pointers in nine of 11 games and is attempting 21.1 treys per game. The Spiders have made 7.1 threes per game and connected on six or more three-pointers in eight games. Richmond made 10 three-pointers at Marist and connected on 14 - which was one short of the Robins Center record - against William & Mary on Nov. 28.
The Moliva Difference
Senior Gaston Moliva missed all but one game last season due to a stress fracture in his left foot, but he received a medical redshirt to return for the 2007-08 season. In preseason practice, Moliva suffered a stress fracture on his other foot, and has not played this season. Head coach Chris Mooney refers to Moliva as the best defender he has ever coached, and that includes serving on the staff at Air Force as the Falcons led the nation in fewest points allowed four-straight season. Moliva has made a drastic difference when he has been in the lineup during Mooney's three seasons. In the 33 games Moliva has played in Mooney's match-up zone, the Spiders have held teams to 58.3 points per game. In the 37 games under Mooney that Moliva has not played, the Spiders are giving up 67.4 points per game for almost a 10-point increase.
The Big Man On Campus
Sophomore 6-foot-9 center Dan Geriot put on quite a scoring exhibition in a five-game stretch from Nov. 10 through Nov. 24. He scored over 20 points four times and reached double-figures in all five games. Over that five-game stretch, the Springfield, Pa. native averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He shot 54.5 percent (33-of-66) in the span, including 44.4 percent from three-point land (8-of-18). Overall, Geriot leads the team with a 13.8 scoring average and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Tenacious D
In Chris Mooney's first season at Richmond in 2005-06, the Spiders led the nation in fewest points allowed for most of the season, not allowing 60 points or more for the first 10 games of the year. The Spiders finished the year allowing 57.8 points per game, which ranked seventh in the country. Last season, with five freshmen seeing the bulk of the minutes, the Spiders did not have as much success defensively, giving up over 60 points in 27 of 30 games. This season the more mature Spiders' are getting back to their defensive stinginess from two years ago. Richmond is fourth in the Atlantic 10 in fewest points allowed at 63.3 per game and has held six of the last eight opponents to 65 points or less. The Spiders have held opponents to 50 points or less 14 times in 71 games under Mooney. The Spiders have held teams to 60 points or less 223times under Mooney and allowed over 70 points just 16 times in 71 games.
Two-Dimensional
The Spiders finished the 2006-07 season ranked 35th in the nation in two-point field goal percentage, shooting 52.6 percent from inside the arc. Richmond shot 35.0 percent from behind the arc and 45.4 percent from the field. Richmond is shooting 46.8 percent on two-point field goals this season, while they are shooting only 33.6 percent from three.
Using More Windex
The Spiders had made improvements in rebounding earlier in the season, and after regressing for five games, Richmond out-rebounded Old Dominion on Dec. 19. It marked just the second time this season, and the fourth time in the last two years that the Spiders out-rebounded their opponent. Richmond is being out-rebounded by 7.5 boards per game this year, averaging 29.1 rebounds per game, which is an increase over the 24.1 the Spiders averaged last year. The Spiders have struggled on the defensive boards (20.2 per game), but are doing a better job on the offensive glass. Richmond is averaging 8.9 offensive rebounds per game, compared to a 6.0 average on "O" rebounds last season.
Spiders Sign Three
Richmond head coach Chris Mooney announced the addition of three prospective student-athletes to the men's basketball program. Australian native Josh Duinker has signed an athletic grant-in-aid with the Spiders and is planning on attending the University of Richmond as a full-time student in January, 2008. Powder Springs, Ga. native Darrius Garrett and Quebec native Francis Cedric Martel have signed letters of intent and will attend the University of Richmond beginning with the Fall, 2008 semester. The incoming class was ranked 60th in the nation by Hoop Scoop Online. Duinker (pronounced Dunk-er) is a 6-foot-9, 210 pound forward from New South Wales Institute of Sport in Hornsby, Australia. He is on track to graduate high school in early December and is planning to attend the University of Richmond in January, 2008. Duinker will be immediately eligible to practice with the team. He played on the Australian National Junior Team in 2007 and was a participant in the 2007 All-Australian Camp. Garrett is a 6-8, 185-pound forward from Powder Springs, Ga. who plays at McEachem High, where he averaged 8.0 points, 7.2 rebounds hasand 4.2 blocks per game as a junior. An explosive athlete around the basket, Garrett flourishes in transition and is a strong rebounder and shot blocker. Garrett played on the same AAU team - the Worldwide Renegades - with current Richmond freshman Kevin Anderson. He will be one of three players on the 2008-09 roster from Georgia, joining Anderson and David Gonzalvez. Martel is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard from the Montmorency College in Laval, Quebec, where he averaged 15.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Martel is a very athletic, guard who handles the ball well and shoots a high percentage from 3-point land.
Gunning Down The Running
The Spiders did a good job of stopping up tempo teams in 2006-07, allowing the opposition to score more than 10 fast break points in just three of 30 games last year. The Spiders allowed 5.4 fast break points per game last year and have allowed 5.2 fastbreak points per game this year. Richmond has held the opposition to eight or less fastbreak points in eight of 11 games this year.
Closing The Deal
The Spiders knew they finished the 2006-07 season strong, but after the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll came out, it is even more impressive how the youthful Richmond team finished up. Over the last four games, the Spiders enjoyed double-figure leads in victories against the teams predicted to finish second (Rhode Island) and third (Saint Joseph's), and lost 63-61 in the conference tourney to the team picked fourth (Fordham).
Protecting The Ball
Richmond was first in the Atlantic 10 in fewest turnovers per game in conference games (11.1 tpg) and first in turnover margin (+4.0). The Spiders were tied for second in overall turnovers per game (12.9), just behind Temple (12.7). Richmond had single-digit turnovers in 10 games, including the four of the last five, and stayed out of the teens in 17 of 30 games. The Spiders are averaging 15.9 turnovers per game through 10 games this season, but have had 12 turnovers or less in three of the last five games. Richmond has had 14 or less turnovers in five of the last seven games.
Geriot Named All-Rookie
Dan Geriot was named to the 2006-07 Atlantic 10's All Rookie Team, the second Spider in Richmond's six years in the league to earn a spot on the conference's all-rookie team, joining teammate Gaston Moliva. The Spiders have had nine Academic All-Conference selections in six years in the Atlantic 10. Geriot led the Spiders in scoring at 11.9 points per game, scoring in double-figures 19 times and scoring 16 or more points in 10 games.
Deja Vu All Over Again
Head men's basketball coach Chris Mooney is entering his third year at the University of Richmond, but it does not feel like that for the 35-year old. Mooney feels like he had two "first" years. The former head coach at Air Force inherited a Richmond program with no guards and only seven scholarship players in 2005-06. Mooney's second year became another first year as six freshmen filled the roster and the top four scorers were freshmen. Now comes an actual second year of rebuilding as the Spiders will have two seniors, four experienced sophomores and another large group of six freshmen.
Youth Being Served
The Spiders were a young team last year with five freshmen who play at least 15 minutes per game, four of whom were Richmond's top four scorers. The Spiders started four freshmen in 10 games and at least three freshmen in 25 of 30 games. The Spiders received 68.2 percent of their scoring from freshmen, the largest percent of freshmen scoring contribution in the Atlantic 10.
Like Player, Like Coach
Spider head coach Chris Mooney has shown he is not afraid to play freshmen significant minutes in his time at Richmond, although some of that was by necessity. But Mooney does know that freshmen can step right in and contribute. He pulled the rare accomplishment of starting as a freshman for Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril at Princeton, doing so on a defending Ivy League championship team that had all five starters returning. Mooney was the runner-up for Ivy League Rookie of the Year, helping the Tigers to the Ivy League title and a NCAA bid in 1990-91.