University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball Plays at La Salle On Wednesday
02/17/2009 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2009
| LISTEN | GAMETRACKER 
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Richmond men's basketball team heads to Philadelphia for the second time this season to face La Salle on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
The Spiders are coming off a 69-63 loss Saturday to now No. 25 ranked Dayton . Richmond is 12-13 overall and 4-6 in the Atlantic 10 with six games remaining.
The Explorers have won five of the last eight games, including a 75-68 win over Saint Joseph's on Saturday. Rodney Green, the reigning Big 5 Player of the Week, leads the team in scoring at 17.0 points per game. Kimmani Barrett is second on the team at 11.8 points per game and Mbala Mekongo is averaging 11.1 points per game and leading the team in rebounding at 6.4 rebounds per game.
THE LATEST
Quick Hitters
Head coach Chris Mooney and a few members of the basketball, athletic department staff and athletic public relations student worker Duncan Phillips captured their second-straight University of Richmond basketball intramural championship on Monday night...Richmond's two guards, David Gonzalvez and Kevin Anderson, are the only teammates ranked in the top-10 in scoring in the A-10 with Gonzalvez sixth at 16.8 and Anderson ninth at 14.9 ppg...the Spiders had used the same starting lineup for the first 23 games, but Ryan Butler was inserted into the starting lineup last Wednesday due to a minor ankle injury suffered by Justin Harper, and Butler started again Saturday at Dayton ...Richmond has at least five steals in 56 of the last 59 games and at least eight steals in 12 of the last 19 games...the Spiders have had four players in double-figures in six of the last 11 games and 10 times this season, including putting five players in double-figures against Duquesne last Wednesday...the Spiders were just the fourth team to hold Duquesne under 70 points this season, joining Pittsburgh (51), West Virginia (63) and Old Dominion (60)...Richmond is 12-2 when it shoots a higher field goal percentage than its opponent...four of Richmond's five conference home games have been a one possession game in the final 10 seconds...Richmond has made 30 or more field goals in seven of the 25 games this season...sophomore Justin Harper is averaging 17.1 points per game if he averages at least 29 minutes and 13.5 if he plays at least 25 minutes...the Spiders held Rice (Jan. 3) and George Washington (Jan. 10) to under 50 points, marking the first time a Richmond team held back-to-back opponents to under 50 points since doing so on Jan. 6th and 9th, 1951 vs. Furman (29) and Maryland (48)...the Spiders had their streak of scoring 70 points in seven-consecutive games snapped in the 60-48 win over George Washington on Jan. 10. That was the longest such streak since the 1993-94 season...in his fourth season of Atlantic 10 play, Richmond head coach Chris Mooney has wins over 12 of the Spiders' 13 conference opponents with the exception Xavier...the Spiders have trailed at the half in only 10 of 25 games this season and have been in no worse than a one-possession game at the half in 47 of the last 57 games...Richmond has led by at least 20 points in six games this season...Richmond had a 13-game stretch from Nov. 30 until Jan. 21 when they left Virginia just twice, one of which was a visit less than a mile over the border to GW.
Turning The Defense Up
The Spiders allowed 70.6 points per game through the first 10 games, allowing over 75 points in four games. Without center Dan Geriot, who is out for the entire season with a torn ACL, the Spiders were re-adjusting to playing their match-up zone with a group of inexperienced underclassmen. After allowing 86 points in a seven-point loss to nationally-ranked Wake Forest on Dec. 19, the Spiders have turned up the defensive pressure. In the last 15 games Richmond has held the opposition to 66.9 points per game.
Spiders Pile Up A-10 Honors
Richmond freshman Kevin Anderson was named the 2007-08 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the conference's All-Rookie Team, while Dan Geriot was named Third-Team All-Atlantic 10. Geriot was one of two sophomores to earn Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honors last season and current sophomore Justin Harper became just the second sophomore to earn Player of the Week honors this season after scoring 28 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a win over URI on Jan. 21. Anderson was named A-10 Rookie of the Week six of the last eight weeks of the 2007-08 season. Only four players in Atlantic 10 history have earned conference Rookie of the Week honors more than Anderson's six awards. Anderson gives the Spiders All-Rookie selections in the previous two seasons, joining 2007 All-Rookie selection Geriot.
Las Aranas In Espana
The Spiders, or Las Aranas, as they are known in Spanish, had a very productive trip to Spain in August. Sporting specially-made European-style uniforms that said Las Aranas on the front, Richmond finished the trip 2-2, including a 95-94 overtime loss in which the Spiders overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force OT. Richmond showed that it can score points, even without center Dan Geriot, as the Spiders averaged 91.3 points per game in the four contests. Eight of the 11 players in uniform on the trip scored in double-figures at least once. Sophomore Kevin Anderson, the 2008 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, averaged 23.7 points per game on the trip with a pair of 30-point games. Anderson scored 35 points in the overtime loss to Caja Rioja and had 30 points in the 91-77 win over Illescas Toledo. Junior Justin Harper averaged 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds over the first two games before rolling his ankle in the opening minutes of the trip's third game. Redshirt freshman Conor Smith showed his long-range shooting ability making 15 three-pointers over the first three games of the trip and averaging 11.8 points per game. Conor Smith had a 21-point effort on seven three-pointers and an 18-point night on six treys. Redshirt freshman Josh Duinker, an Australian who joined the team in January, averaged 11.0 points and 6.0 boards per game, narrowly missing a double-double in the second game with 11-points and nine rebounds. Duinker showed that he can score inside and outside, making a pair of three-pointers in the win over Illescas Toledo to close the trip. Sophomore Kevin Smith averaged 10.0 points per game and 6.3 rebounds, while senior David Gonzalvez came off an injury prior to the trip to average 9.5 points, including 19 points in the trip finale. Not only was the trip beneficial to the Spiders on the court, but off the court it served as 12 days of bonding for the players and coaches. "This trip was terrific, not just because of how well our guys played, but because of what they got to experience," Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said. Said Anderson, "I think we've been bonding great this year, as we bond off the court, we bond on the court."
Guarded Optimism
Richmond has the best scoring guard combination in the Atlantic 10 with junior guard David Gonzalvez sixth in the league at 16.8 points per game and sophomore Kevin Anderson ninth at 14.9 ppg. Richmond is the only team in the Atlantic 10 to have two players in the top-10 in the conference in scoring. Anderson has scored in double-figures in 33 of the last 35 games and Gonzalvez has scored in double-figures in 24 of the last 26 games. Gonzalvez and Anderson are both in the top 10 in the conference in field goal percentage with Gonzalvez sixth (.489) and Anderson 10th (.461).
The Truth About Harper
Sophomore Reggie Brown had 31 on Jan. 5, 2002 against La Salle. The last Spider to have at least 28 points and nine rebounds in the Robins Center was Greg Stevenson. Stevenson had 38 points and 11 rebounds on Jan. 12, 2001 against McNeese State.
Causing Turnover
Last year, the Spiders were third in the A-10 in turnovers forced, causing 16.6 turnovers per game and forcing the opposition into 20 or more turnovers seven times. The Spiders are forcing 15.2 turnovers per game through 25 games this season, which is fifth in the A-10. Richmond has forced 17 or more turnovers nine times.
A Game Of Percentages
The Spiders are third in the Atlantic 10 and 44th in the nation in field goal percentage at 47.0 percent, but do not get the impression Richmond is shooting a higher percentage than its opponents every time out. In Richmond's 12 victories, the Spiders have had the advantage in shooting percentage, but in 11 of the 13 losses Richmond's opponent has shot better from the field. The problem has not been that the Spiders are not shooting well in the losses, just twice have the Spiders shot less than 40 percent in a setback and they are shooting 43.4 percent in the 13 losses. The problem has been that Richmond's defense has allowed the opponents to shoot 47.5 percent in its losses, while having held the opposition to 40.2 percent in wins.
Stealing The Show
Last season the Spiders had 257 steals - just five short of the school record - led by Kevin Anderson's 55 steals, which ranked 10th on the all-time single-season list. Richmond was second in the Atlantic 10 in steals and 45th in the nation in steals at 8.3 per contest. The Spiders had double-digits steals in 10 games last season and are back at it this season, with double-digit steals in five games, including a season-high 12 vs. nationally-ranked Wake Forest. Richmond is averaging 7.5 steals per game through 25 contests this season, which is second in the A-10. The Spiders have at least eight steals in 12 of the last 18 games and at least five steals in 56 of the last 59 games. Anderson leads the team and is 12th in the A-10 at 1.35 per game. David Gonzalvez is second on the team at 1.32 steals per game. Kevin Smith is third on the team at 1.20.
A-10-tion
According to RealTime RPI, the Atlantic 10 ranks fourth among Division I conferences in Strength of Schedule and is the eighth-ranked conference in the RPI standings. Atlantic 10 teams won 16 games versus BCS teams in non-conference action during the regular season, the most of any non-BCS league and good for fifth nationally. In addition, nine different A-10 teams registered at least one victory over a BCS foe. The league's 115 non-conference wins this season mark the second-highest total in league annals.
Gunning Down The Running
The Spiders have made a habit of preventing teams from pushing the tempo during Chris Mooney's tenure. In 2006-07, Richmond allowed the opposition to score more than 10 fast break points in just three of 30 games. The Spiders allowed 5.4 fast break points per game in 2006-07 and cut that down to 4.6 fast break points per game last winter. Richmond has held the opposition to eight or less fast break points in 48 of the last 56 games, dating back to the start of the 2007-08 season. In 25 games this season, Richmond has allowed just 118 fast break points for a 4.72 per game average. The Spiders had 16 fast break points to Syracuse's eight on Nov. 18 in the Carrier Dome and held Wake Forest to four fast break points. "Controlling the transition game is key," head coach Chris Mooney says. "If you can stop a team from getting transition baskets you have a chance to guard them throughout the night."
Spiders' Web Reaching NBA
While the Spiders do not have a former player on any NBA rosters, three Richmond former standouts are working the sidelines in the NBA. Kevin Eastman is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, earning a ring with the 2008 World Champions. Standout guard Ken Atkinson, a member of the 1988 Sweet 16 team, is in his first year as an assistant coach for Mike D'Antoni and the New York Knicks. Former guard Curtis Blair, who scored 18 points in the 1991 NCAA Tournament win over Syracuse, is in his first year as a referee in the NBA.
Spiders Sign Two
Richmond men's basketball head coach Chris Mooney announced the signing of Greg Robbins (Wynnewood, Pa.) and Darien Brothers (Richmond, Va.) to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, the first day of the fall signing period. Robbins is a 6-foot-4 All-State guard at Lower Merion High School, who is rated as the No. 88 player in the class of 2009 by The Basketball Times and The Hoop Scoop. Brothers is a 6-foot-3 all-conference guard for Richmond's Benedictine High School, who helped the Cadets to a 28-7 record and state championship. "We are very excited about our recruiting class this year," Chris Mooney said. "The two student-athletes are outstanding players and great kids. We look forward to welcoming them to the Richmond family."
Like Father, Like Son
Richmond sophomore Ryan Butler and his father Jeff Butler are the second father-son duo to play for the Spiders, joining Pat DiServio (1981-83) and Tony DiServio (1945-47). Jeff Butler was a star for the Spiders from 1975-77, leading the team in scoring both seasons. He averaged 14.3 points per game in 1975-76 and 16.3 points per game in 1976-77. Jeff Butler was later an assistant coach for the Spiders under Hall of Fame coach Dick Tarrant, who regularly attends games in the Robins Center. Ryan Butler grew up in the shadow of campus and starred at Douglas Freeman High three miles from campus.
