Men's Basketball GameDay Central - Bucknell
11/29/2016 | Men's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Richmond (4-2) gets its first true road test on Wednesday when the Spiders travel to Bucknell (5-2) for a 7 p.m. tip. The game will be aired in Richmond on WTVR-CBS 6.3 (Comcast Channel 206 and Verizon FIOS Channel 466).
Richmond finished the Barclays Center Classic with a 3-1 record, the only blemish coming in overtime against a ranked Maryland squad.
The Spiders defeated Boston College on Saturday by overcoming an 11-point first half deficit. It marked the 20th win over a power conference team under Mooney.
T.J. Cline earned Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week honors after averaging 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists through three games last week. Cline is one of just two players in the country to average at least 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists a game.
Julius Johnson had a career-high 12 points with six rebounds in a breakout game vs. Boston College.
Wednesday's game will air on WTVR-CBS 6.3 in Richmond (Comcast Channel 206 and Verizon FIOS Channel 466) and free online through the Patriot League Network. Joe Vasile and Abe Badmus will be on the call.
The game will also be on the radio on ESPN 950 AM and 107.3 BBT FM and streaming on RichmondSpiders.com. Bob Black and Greg Beckwith will call the action over the radio airwaves.
| 2016-17 SPIDER MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL - BUCKNELL |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (4-2) vs. Bucknell Bison (5-2) |
| When | Wednesday, Nov. 30, 7:00 p.m. |
| Where | Lewisburg, Pa. |
| Venue | Sojka Pavilion (4,000) |
| TV | WTVR-CBS 6.3 in Richmond (Comcast Channel 206 and Verizon FIOS Channel 466 | Patriot League Network |
| On Air | Joe Vasile, Abe Badmus |
| Radio | ESPN 950 AM | 107.3 BBT FM | RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Live Stats | Click Here |
| Game Notes | Notes |
Scouting Bucknell
The Bucknell Bison are coming in hot with a three-game winning streak that includes a victory over Vanderbilt in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational.
The Bison are third in the league by shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from long range. They also average 7.0 steals per game.
Bucknell coach Nathan Davis was Patriot League Coach of the Year last year after leading his team to the NIT in his first season.
Series vs. Bucknell
Richmond is 3-2 all-time against Bucknell, but the Bison have won the last two matchups which came five years ago. In Richmond, Mike Muscala hit a buzzer beater to down the Spiders while Bucknell won by 14 after UR's Sweet 16 year. The teams first met in 1958.
Success Against The Power 5
Over the weekend, Richmond took No. 23 Maryland to overtime and then turned around and beat Boston College of the ACC by double digits. In Mooney's tenure, the Spiders have racked up 20 wins over power conference teams.
Cline's Big Week
T.J. Cline had quite a week over the Thanksgiving Holiday. He averaged 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in a near triple-double against Maryland and a double-double against Boston College. He earned Barclays Center Classic All-Tournament honors and then was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week. On Tuesday, Cline's first person account in The Players' Tribune was published to national acclaim.
Scoring Streak
T.J. Cline has now reached double figures in 19 straight games and 26 of his last 27 dating back to last season. He has 60 career double-figure scoring games, and tallied his second career double-double vs. Boston College.
Jones-Cline Connection
T.J. Cline and ShawnDre' Jones are one of the Atlantic 10's best duos, especially in the pick and roll and pick and pop. They've combined for over 40 points in three of UR's six games.
They've also combined for 52 assists with 16 assists going to each other.
P-R-A Machine
T.J. Cline is currently averaging 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
He is one of just two players in the country (N.C. Central's Patrick Cole being the other) to average at least 15-7-5 in points, rebounds and assists in a game.
Cline nearly tallied a triple-double against Maryland, scoring 18 points with nine rebounds and nine assists.
Assist To...
The Spiders have always run an offense with constant motion and crisp passes that lead to shots in rhythm. Richmond is at its best when every player on the court is setting up someone else for a shot.
This year, the Spiders rank fifth in the league in assists (15.0) and third in assist-turnover ratio (1.2). UR has assisted on 90 of 153 field goals for a ratio of .588, with 10 different players tallying at least one assist so far.
Leaning On The Freshmen
Richmond's highly touted freshmen class have already played significant roles in Richmond's first six games.
De'Monte Buckingham, Nick Sherod and Grant Golden have shown promise in offensive and rebounding production, but have also been fantastic on intangible "hustle" plays like loose balls, charges and keeping possessions alive. Buckingham currently leads the team with seven blocks.
The trio have combined for an average for 49.4 minutes per contest. That marks the most combined minutes for Spider freshmen since the 2012-13 season.
Marshall Wood Finding His Range
After an inauspicious start, senior Marshall Wood has found his range again as one of the Spiders' best long-range marksmen. He hit four threes against RMU, three treys against Hampton, and went 4-4 against Maryland.
He currently ranks third in the A-10 in 3-pt FG percentage (.500).
Last season, Wood hit seven threes in a game on two occasions, coming just one trey away from the school record.
Johnson Earning His Time
Sophomore Julius Johnson has now started in four consecutive games and made his presence felt against Boston College. He scored a career-high 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, also grabbing six rebounds. In games started, Johnson has averaged 7.3 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per contest.
