University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball Looking For Spot In Atlantic 10 Tourney; Hosts Rhode Island Saturday In Regular-Season Finale
03/02/2007 | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2007
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The youthful Spiders have something to play for in the regular-season finale as a victory could get them into the Atlantic 10 Tournament as the 12th seed. Richmond is 3-12 in the league, tied with La Salle and one game behind St. Bonaventure. A Spider victory Saturday and losses by La Salle (hosting Xavier, 12 p.m.) and St. Bonaventure (at Charlotte, 7 p.m.) would bring Richmond into a tie with St. Bonaventure. That would earn Richmond the 12th and final tourney slot based on record against the highest common opponent, which would be Rhode Island (10-5 A-10). Any other scenario would put an end to the Spiders' season.
Rhode Island (17-12, 10-5 Atlantic 10) is also playing for something Saturday, looking for one of four byes in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Rams are third in the Atlantic 10 in scoring, averaging 76.6 points per game, but are allowing 76.5 points per game. Rhody looks to get out and run, but the Spiders have allowed only three of 28 opponents to score over 10 fast-break points and are giving up just 5.9 fast-break points per game. The Rams are second in the A-10 in 3-point percentage.
The Spiders have been keeping their turnovers in the single digits in the last three games, have shot over 50 percent from the field in the last two games, but continue to struggle rebounding and that will be a problem against the glass-crashing Rams. The Spiders have been out-rebounded by 17 or more in eight of the last 11 games. Freshmen account for 69.5 of Richmond's scoring this season.
NOTES
Youth Being Served
The Spiders are a young team with five freshmen who play at least 14.9 minutes per game, four of whom are Richmond's top four scorers. The Spiders have started four freshmen in 10 games, including the past four of the last five, and at least three freshmen in 23 of 28 games. The Spiders receive 69.5 percent of their scoring from freshmen, the largest percent of freshmen scoring contribution in the Atlantic 10. Richmond will lose just one player off this year's squad, senior Peter Thomas (6.7 ppg). Senior Gaston Moliva is out for the season and will seek a medical hardship.
Guarded Optimism
Last season, in head coach Brian Morris and Ryan Butler have done a great job keeping the Spiders' turnovers down and are three of the top four scorers. The problem has been getting all three of them, or even two of them, to play well in the same game. Gonzalvez scored 21 points in the win over Saint Joseph's, while Morris has been the team's leading scorer in three of the last six games and leads the team in assists. Butler leads the team in 3-pointers with 41, with Morris right behind him at 40.
3's Company
Richmond's offense relied heavily on the 3-point shot in 2005-06 as the Spiders took 47.7 percent of their field goal attempts from behind the arc, but shot just 29.5 percent. Richmond did not have the complement of 3-point shooters that thrive in this type of offense, but have added several players who can make the outside shot. That has begun to show as 11 different players have made a 3-pointer and seven of them have made at least 13 trifectas. Richmond has made a season-high 11 3-pointers twice, made 10 3-pointers on Wednesday against Saint Louis and has made at least five 3-pointers in all but seven of 28 games.
Gunning Down The Running
Do not think the Spiders are going to get run out of the gym. Richmond held Duquesne and Xavier to a combined six fast-break points. The Spiders have allowed only three of 28 opponents to score more than 10 fast break points in a game this season. The Spiders are allowing 5.7 fast break points per game.
Two-Dimensional
Richmond is not relying as heavily on the 3-point shot this year. The Spiders took 47.7 percent of their shots from behind the 3-point arc last season and are down to taking 40.7 percent of its shots from behind the arc this year. The Spiders are scoring inside more than last year, averaging 26.9 points in the paint per game, which is more than their opponents (26.5).
Adjusting To New Roles
Four of Richmond's five true freshmen - Brian Morris, David Brewster and Kevin Hovde - were the leading scorer's on their high school teams last season, each averaging over 20 points per game. (Freshman David Gonzalvez was the sixth man for Notre Dame Prep, the No. 1 prep team in the nation). While each of the freshmen has scored in double-figures at least once and four of them are Richmond's top four scorers, they have obviously found it tougher to score consistently in their first year in college. The challenge for head coach Chris Mooney and his staff is to get these former high school stars to perform in all areas of the game, even when they are not scoring. The freshmen have showed signs of putting it all together, just not often in the same game.
Moliva's Return On Hold
Richmond had senior Gaston Moliva back from injury on Jan. 6 against Fordham, but Moliva suffered discomfort in his foot and has not played since. The Spiders looked like a different team on Jan. 6 against Fordham with the addition of 6-foot-7, 230 pound senior Gaston Moliva, who was out for the first 13 games of the season with a stress fracture in his foot suffered in preseason practice. Moliva has played since Jan. 6 and will not return this season. He will apply for a hardship waiver in hopes of regaining his final season of eligibility.
Tenacious D
Last season 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 season and finishing the year allowing 57.8 points per game. This season, with six freshmen seeing the bulk of the minutes, the Spiders have not had as much success defensively, giving up over 60 points in 25 of 28 games, but the defense has shown signs of things to come. On Dec. 5 in Tampa, Fla. the Spider freshmen seemed to finally get what the coaches have been stressing. Richmond had South Florida stuck on 28 points with just over eight minutes to play and only allowed 46 points for the game. The Spiders have held opponents to 50 points or less 12 times in 58 games under second-year head coach Chris Mooney. The Spiders have held teams to 60 points or less 19 times under Mooney and allowed over 70 points just 12 times.
Like Player, Like Coach
fn Richmond has started four freshmen in its first two games of the season and while "freshmen are freshmen," Richmond head coach knows that freshmen can step right in and contribute. Mooney 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 and helped the Tigers to the Ivy League title and a NCAA bid.
Needing Some More Windex
fn Head coach Chris Mooney knew rebounding was going to be a problem entering the season. The Spiders have been out-rebounded in 25 of 28 games this season, and have lost the rebounding battle by 17 or more eight times in the last 11 games. While Mooney believes the Spiders can get by without winning the rebounding battle, he knows they can not get beat too much on the glass. As Mooney said earlier this season, "rebounding will bother us all season because we're such a small team. If we get out-rebounded by nine then we have a chance, but we cannot get out-rebounded by 18 and expect to win." The Spiders did out-rebound Duquesne 30-27 in Richmond's victory on Feb. 18.
Geriot & Gonzalvez Honored
Richmond freshmen Dan Geriot and freshman David Gonzalvez have each earned Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors this season. Gonzalvez earned the honor on Feb. 25 after scoring 21 points in the victory over Saint Joseph's. Gonzalvez made 7-of-11 field goals, including 4-of-5 3-pointers to lead the Spiders to victory. He averaged 16.0 points and 3.0 assists in two games the previous week. Geriot earned the honor on Dec. 24 after averaging 15.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in two games. Geriot tied a career-high with 21 points to go with three rebounds in 23 minutes of action against Wake Forest on Dec. 22. He made 8-of-10 shots from the field, including 1-of-2 3-pointers.
