University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball GAMEDAY: N.C. State
11/24/2014 | Men's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. - Richmond (2-1) hits the road for the first of two away games over the Thanksgiving holiday with a contest at N.C. State (4-0) on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
The Spiders are coming off a big momentum boost win against High Point, 80-56, on Saturday at the Robins Center. Richmond hit 11 of its first 17 shots to start with a bang, shooting a blistering 68 percent in the first half and 61.2 percent (30-of-49) for the game as seven different players found the basket.
The Spiders recorded a season-high 18 assists and outrebounded High Point, 27-22. Senior Kendall Anthony was perfect in the first half, nailing all four three-point field goals and turning in 18 first-half points on his way to a game-high and season-high total of 22. Junior Alonzo Nelson-Ododa scored 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting, also grabbing four rebounds. Redshirt-sophomore T.J. Cline continued his hot start to the season, scoring 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. Cline also grabbed a season-high seven rebounds with two assists.
Wednesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN3 online with Patrick Kinas and Stan Lewter on the call. With participating providers, fans can access ESPN3 on the web, phones and tablets through the WatchESPN app. As always, Richmond's radio broadcast will feature Bob Black and Greg Beckwith and air live on ESPN 950 AM and 93.1 HANK FM. A simulcast of the audio will also be available on RichmondSpiders.com.
| 2014-15 SPIDER MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL - N.C. STATE |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (2-1, 0-0) at N.C. State (4-0, 0-0) |
| When | Saturday, November 26, 2014 | Buy Tickets |
| Where | Raleigh, N.C. |
| Venue | PNC Arena (19,700) |
| TV/Live Video | |
| On Air | Patrick Kinas, Stan Lewter |
| Radio | ESPN 950 AM | 93.1 HANK FM | RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Live Stats | RichmondSpiders.com |
| Game Notes | Richmond | N.C. State |
| Pregame Media | Chris Mooney, ShawnDre' Jones Press Conference |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
| Hashtags | #OneRichmond | #A10MBB |
Opening Tip
Richmond is second in the A-10 and 28th in the country with a 51.4 shooting percentage after going lights out with a 61.2 FG game against HPU.
The Spiders play their first game against a non-Virginia team on Wednesday. Five of the first seven games are against Virginia teams this season.
After his 22-point performance with a perfect 4-of-4 from three against HPU, Kendall Anthony is now averaging 16.0 ppg, good for eighth in the league.
T.J. Cline has had blistering accuracy, shooting 76.2 percent from the floor for second place in the A-10 and sixth in the country. He has12.3 points in 15.7 minutes per game.
Alonzo Nelson-Ododa has added offensive firepower to his defensive prowess, scoring the ball in the paint (.636) and FT line (.882).
The Spiders are 4-7 against teams from the ACC since the 2007-08 season.
Scouting N.C. State
The Wolfpack has started hot with four straight home victories, including a 68-65 win over USF on Sunday night. N.C. State is averaging 79.0 points on 42.3 percent shooting for a margin of victory of 21.5.
Three players are averaging double-digit points, led by Trevor Lacey (16.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) a transfer from Alabama. The Pack return three starters from last season, including Ralston Turner who leads the team in three-pointers (7) and has scored 10.0 ppg.
Head coach Mark Gottfried has taken N.C. State to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in his first three years at the helm. N.C. State was picked ninth in the ACC preseason poll. The Wolfpack received votes in this week's AP Poll.
Series vs. N.C. State
Wednesday is the fourth game in a series that dates back to 1925. The Wolfpack have won all three games including the most recent matchup, a 57-48 game on 11/15/89 in Reynolds Coliseum.
Spreading the Wealth
The Spiders moved the ball around for a season-high 18 assists against HPU, including five from Trey Davis and four from ShawnDre' Jones. Five different players have four or more assists for UR this season.
Richmond's assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.6 currently ranks second in the A-10 and 28th in the NCAA.
White-Hot Shooting
The Spiders were white-hot in the first half against High Point, shooting 68.0 percent from the floor. Despite a non-competitive second half, Richmond finished with a 61.2 percent game, the first time shooting over 60 percent in a game since 2011 against William & Mary.
Richmond is shooting 51.4 percent from the field this season, ranking second in the A-10 and 28th in the country.
Protecting The Rock
Richmond has been very protective of the ball this season with a stellar backcourt that does not turn it over. Richmond currently ranks fourth in the country for fewest turnovers with 8.0 per game.
Instant Offense? He's in-Cline-d to agree
CBS Sports national writer Jon Rothstein lists T.J. Cline as one of the top underrated transfers in the country this season as he gets his first action with the Spiders. He had to sit out 2013-14 after transferring from Niagara.
Through three games, Cline has been instant offense off the bench, averaging 12.3 points in 15.7 minutes played. He's shot a blistering .762 from the field, going 16-of-21. Cline grabbed seven rebounds against High Point and has four assists as well.
Cline's FG percentage of 76.2 currently ranks second in the A-10 and sixth in the nation.
A native of Plano, Texas, Cline is the son of Hall of Fame women's basketball player Nancy Lieberman.
Anthony Taking Charge
After a close loss at Old Dominion, Anthony led the charge in Richmond's bounce-back win against High Point, showing great leadership and emotion in an 18-pt, 6-of-6 FG, first half. Anthony hit all four threes that he took en route to a 22-point game, his 18th career 20-point game.
Anthony leads the team with 16.0 points per game, good for eighth in the A-10. He is shooting 54.5 percent from three-point land, which also ranks eighth.
Anthony was picked to the Preseason Atlantic 10 First Team after earning Second Team honors last year.
Zo Patrols The Paint
A junior shot-blocker from Atlanta, Ga., Nelson-Ododa has forged his reputation as a rim protector in his years with the Spiders. He was tabbed for the Preseason Atlantic 10 Defensive Team back in October.
Through three games, Nelson-Ododa has also added an offensive element to his game, averaging 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. His foul shooting has been particularly effective, shooting 15-of-17 from the line (.882).
“Zo” has continued to be a shot blocker with four blocks in the season opener and eight blocks on the season (2.7), ranking second in the A-10 and 33rd in the country.
Jones Named SI Breakout Sophomore
Precocious sophomore guard ShawnDre' Jones is poised for a breakout sophomore campaign on the hardwood. The Houston, Texas, native was highlighted by Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn as one of his top breakout sophomore candidates for the 2014-15 men's basketball season.
Last year, Jones saw increased playing time after senior guard Cedrick Lindsay went down with an injury midway through the conference season. In February and March, he averaged 11.8 points per game over the final 10 contests, including a career-high 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting against George Washington.
Jones has had consecutive games of double-digit points with 12 against Old Dominion and 10 vs. HPU. He ranks second in the A-10 and eighth in the country with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 10.0.
