University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball Announces One Of Strongest Non-Conference Schedules In School History
08/19/2009 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 19, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond announced its 15-game non-conference men's basketball schedule for the 2009-10 season featuring five games against teams that played in postseason tournaments last year.
Richmond's non-conference schedule is highlighted by three Southeastern Conference opponents (Florida, Mississippi State and South Carolina) and a visit to Wake Forest on Dec. 31.
Including the 16-game Atlantic 10 schedule, the Spiders will play 12 games against teams that played in the postseason, including six 2009 NCAA Tournament teams. Five teams on Richmond's schedule are on Dick Vitale's Preseason Top 40. The Spiders were named in ESPN.com analyst Doug Gottlieb's list of teams who could have been picked in Dick Vitale's Preseason Top 40.
"We made an effort to put together an extremely challenging non-conference schedule against some of the nation's top programs," Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said. "We are obviously very pleased with the non-conference schedule that we were able to assemble. This will definitely prepare us for conference play in the Atlantic 10, which has proven itself among the most challenging leagues in the nation."
The Spiders play Florida in the Orange Bowl Classic on Dec. 19 in Sunshine, Fla., face Mississippi State (Nov. 27) in the South Padre Island Invitational and travel to South Carolina on Dec. 16.
Richmond is scheduled to play 11 teams that participated in postseason tournaments, but will also play either Missouri (2009 NCAA) or Old Dominion (2009 College Basketball Insider) on the second day of the South Padre Island Invitational.
The Spiders are already set to continue their local rivalry with Old Dominion on Dec. 2 in the Robins Center. The former CAA foes have faced each other in each of the last four seasons with each team winning the two games on its home court.
Richmond will play four teams from the state of Virginia, with Old Dominion and VMI (Nov. 16) visiting the Robins Center and the Spiders making trips to William & Mary (Nov. 19) and city-rival VCU (Dec. 12).
The Spiders return all but one regular off of a team that won 20 games last year and Richmond adds 2008 Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection Dan Geriot. The 6-9 center missed last year due to a knee injury, but led the Spiders in scoring as both a freshmen and sophomore. He has bulked up to 255 pounds - from 230 when he played in his last game in March of 2008 - and says he feels 100 percent one year after undergoing surgery.
The Spiders return the all-conference guard combo of Kevin Anderson (Second-Team All-Atlantic 10) and David Gonzalvez (Honorable Mention All-Atlantic 10). Anderson was seventh in the Atlantic 10 in scoring last year (16.6 ppg) and Gonzalvez was eighth (16.0 ppg). With Geriot, Gonzalvez and Anderson, Richmond boasts three of the nine returning all-conference players in the Atlantic 10.
The Atlantic 10 released the sites of its conference match-ups last week, with the dates and times to be released at a later date.
The Spiders will play Charlotte, George Washington and Saint Louis both home and away for the second-straight year and the rest of the schedule changes venues from last season. Richmond will host Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, Massachusetts and Temple and visit Duquesne, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's and Xavier.
