University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders 39th In Latest AP Poll; No. 29 In SI.com's Power Ratings
12/07/2009 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond men's basketball, off to a 7-1 start, is 39th in the nation in the latest Associated Press Poll, released Monday.
Richmond is receiving 17 votes in the Associated Press Poll, which has them 39th, and the Spiders are receiving five votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, which has them 42nd in the nation. Richmond is also No. 29 in SI.com writer Luke Winn's Power Ratings.
The Spiders defeated Old Dominion in their only game last week and have won five-straight, including wins over defending Big 12 Champion Missouri and defending SEC Champion Mississippi State to win the South Padre Island Invitational.
Richmond received votes for the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls last week, marking the first time the Spiders received votes since Jan. 28, 1986. The Spiders are 19th out of 348 Division I teams in the RPI according to RealTimeRPI.com.
The Spiders (7-1) are off to their second-best start since the 1954-55 season. Richmond plays at city-rival VCU on Saturday, looking to match its third-best start in school history, and the best since the 1934-35 team finished 20-0. The 1926-27 Spiders started 11-0 and this year's squad is looking to become the sixth team to start 8-1.
After playing at VCU on Saturday, the Spiders play back-to-back games against SEC opponents. Richmond plays at South Carolina on Dec. 16 and takes on No. 10 Florida on Dec. 19 in the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Fla.