University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball GameDay Central - VCU
01/31/2017 | Men's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. - The first-place Richmond Spiders (13-8, 7-2) are set to travel to the Siegel Center to battle the rival VCU Rams (16-5, 6-2) in this year's first edition of the Lumber Liquidators Capital City Classic.
Both teams have won the last two games at home and enter the contest with confidence. In UR's 101-90 win over Duquesne on Saturday, the Spiders set season highs in points, assists, threes made and free throws made.
T.J. Cline was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for the fourth time after he became the first Spider to ever record a triple-double. He scored 34 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists against Duquesne. He finished the week averaging 27.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 7.5 apg.
Cline is one of 18 players in the country with a triple-double this year. His nine double-doubles are second in the league and most for UR since 1987-88.
After a 24-assist effort vs. Duquesne, Richmond now ranks eighth in the country in assist/FGM ratio (64.1).
Wednesday's game will air on CBS Sports Network with Carter Blackburn and Pete Gillen on the call.
The game will also be on the radio on ESPN 950 AM and 107.3 BBT as well 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 - VCU |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (13-8, 7-2) at VCU Rams (16-5, 6-2) |
| When | Wednesday, Feb. 1, 7 p.m. |
| Where | Richmond, Va. |
| Venue | Siegel Center (7,617) |
| TV | CBS Sports Network |
| On Air | Carter Blackburn, Pete Gillen |
| Radio | ESPN 950 AM | 107.3 BBT | RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Live Stats | Click Here |
| Game Notes | Notes |
Scouting VCU
VCU looks to close out a three-game homestand with three wins after defeating La Salle and Dayton. The Rams lead the conference in field goal percentage and are second in steals. JeQuan Lewis averages 14.6 points per game with a team-high 97 assists, while Justin Tillman has averaged 11.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Series vs. VCU
VCU leads the all-time series 48-28 over Richmond. The Rams have won the last three games after UR went 2-0 against VCU in the 2014-15 regular season. VCU holds an average margin of victory of 1.6 points in the last five games with two contests going to overtime.
Award Center
The Spiders have been racking up Atlantic 10 Weekly Awards. UR swept the awards two weeks ago with Cline winning Co-Player of the Week and Buckingham earning his second-straight Rookie of the Week. Cline then won his fourth Player of the Week honor on Monday, the most of any player in the league.The Spiders have totaled seven weekly honors this season, more than any other school.
Cline was also named one of 30 national candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, given to a player that exemplifies leadership, community service, academic excellence and athletic success. The award will name the 10 finalists in February.
P-R-A Machine
After coming close on three occasions, T.J. Cline finally broke through for the first-ever triple-double in school history against Duquesne. He scored 34 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
T.J. Cline is currently averaging 19.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
Cline is the only player in the NCAA to post 19-8-5 in points, rebounds and assists. He has more assists than any player in the country his height or taller and ranks 11th in the nation with an assist rate of 38.9.
A preseason All-A-10 First Teamer, Cline ranks fifth in the league in points, second in rebounds and second in assists, making his case for Player of the Year honors.
Cline is putting together one of the best seasons in recent memory in rebounding as Charles Stephens (1997-98) was the last Spider to average over eight rebounds a game for an entire season (8.3).
Cline has tallied nine double-doubles this season, more than any other Spider since 1987-88 when Peter Woolfolk tallied 13. He is second in the A-10 and 33rd in the country in double-doubles.
Shaq and Penny
After his triple-double performance against Duquesne, Cline said it was all because his teammates made shots when he handed them the ball.
His partner in crime the past three years has been fellow senior ShawnDre' Jones. Jones also scored 30 points in UR's win over Duquesne, the first time a pair of Spiders have each scored 30 in a game in Mooney's tenure.
Jones is averaging 16.9 points per game and 4.2 assists per game, ranking top 10 in the league in both categories. His assist-turnover ratio of 1.9 ranks seventh in the league.
Over a third of both Cline and Jones' assists have gone to the other one scoring.
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 lead the league in assists (16.9) and assist-turnover ratio (1.3). Richmond has dished more or same assists than the opponent in 18 of the season's 21 games. In Atlantic 10 play, the Spiders have averaged 18.8 assists per game.
UR ranks 8th in the country in assist-to-FG percentage of 64.1.
Freshmen Impact
Against Rhode Island, Nick Sherod and De'Monte Buckingham became the first pair of freshmen starters in the Spider lineup since the 2007-08 season (Kevin Anderson, Kevin Smith).
The two have been a vital part of Richmond's success in A-10 play. Buckingham is averaging 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in A-10 play, while Sherod has 9.2 points and 2.2 rebounds, including three straight double-digit scoring games.
In A-10 play, Buckingham ranks second among freshmen in points, first in rebounds, second in steals and fourth in blocks. He has won two A-10 Rookie of the Week awards.
Khwan Effect
Although quiet off the court, Khwan Fore can make a big statement on it. His rim-rattling dunks can make big statements when coming from a 6-0 guard. He had three such dunks in the second half at Dayton. He is Richmond's most athletic player pound-for-pound.
In A-10 play, Fore has averaged 11.3 points with 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He ranks ninth in the league with 1.7 steals per game.
Seniors Against VCU
Richmond seniors ShawnDre' Jones and T.J. Cline have put up big numbers and had big moments against VCU in the past.
In five games over the last two years, Cline has averaged 15.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.2 apg and 8 total threes versus the Rams. His layup with 2.4 seconds remaining sent the Spiders to double overtime where they won a thriller in the Robins Center in 2014-15. He also had a game-high 22 points in the contest at the Siegel Center last year.
Jones has averaged 15.4 points and 2.8 assists with 17 threes in eight career games against the Rams. His six threes against the Rams in Richmond's home win in 2015 still stand as his career high.
