Photo by: Mark Cornelison
Spiders Move to 19th in AP Top 25 For Highest Ranking Since 1957
11/30/2020 | Men's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – One day after beating 10th-ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena, the Richmond Spiders moved up to 19th in Monday's Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll, the highest ranking for Richmond since the 1957-58 season.
Monday's poll is the first time Richmond has been ranked inside the AP Top 25 since March 15, 2010, when the Spiders were ranked 24th in the final poll of the 2009-10 season, released prior to UR's participation in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Richmond was in the Receiving Votes section of this year's preseason AP poll which was released on November 9.
The last time the Spiders were ranked as high as 19th in the Associated Press poll was on December 23, 1957, when Richmond was 17th. The 1957-58 Spiders, members of the Southern Conference, opened the season with five straight wins and debuted in the AP Top 25 at number 19 in the poll released on December 16th. Richmond moved to 17th in the poll the following week before dropping out of the Associated Press rankings -- which only included 20 teams at that time – the following week.
This year's Spiders are 2-0 following a pair of wins at Rupp Arena en route to a championship in the Bluegrass Showcase. In its season opener, Richmond defeated Morehead State 82-64 on Friday and toppled 10th-ranked Kentucky 76-64 on Sunday for the Spiders first-ever road win against an AP top-10 opponent.
Richmond was led by Nathan Cayo at the Bluegrass Showcase. The senior totaled 41 points and shot better 78 percent from the field over the two games en route to being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Teammate Grant Golden was also named to the All-Tournament Team after registering 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists on 63 percent shooting from the field in UR's two wins.
Richmond also made significant jumps in the rankings of several national college basketball writers following its win Sunday. The Spiders moved to 16th in Jeff Goodman's (Stadium) Top 25 rankings, the same spot they occupied in the power rankings of ESPN's Jeff Borzello. Andy Katz of NCAA.com had the Spiders vaulting all the way up to ninth in his Power 36 rankings, noting that "the A-10 favorites are going to be a threat throughout the season."
The Spiders next game is Wednesday at Charleston of the Colonial Athletic Association. Tip time is 7 PM and the game will be televised by FloSports and heard on ESPN Richmond radio.
Monday's poll is the first time Richmond has been ranked inside the AP Top 25 since March 15, 2010, when the Spiders were ranked 24th in the final poll of the 2009-10 season, released prior to UR's participation in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Richmond was in the Receiving Votes section of this year's preseason AP poll which was released on November 9.
The last time the Spiders were ranked as high as 19th in the Associated Press poll was on December 23, 1957, when Richmond was 17th. The 1957-58 Spiders, members of the Southern Conference, opened the season with five straight wins and debuted in the AP Top 25 at number 19 in the poll released on December 16th. Richmond moved to 17th in the poll the following week before dropping out of the Associated Press rankings -- which only included 20 teams at that time – the following week.
This year's Spiders are 2-0 following a pair of wins at Rupp Arena en route to a championship in the Bluegrass Showcase. In its season opener, Richmond defeated Morehead State 82-64 on Friday and toppled 10th-ranked Kentucky 76-64 on Sunday for the Spiders first-ever road win against an AP top-10 opponent.
Richmond was led by Nathan Cayo at the Bluegrass Showcase. The senior totaled 41 points and shot better 78 percent from the field over the two games en route to being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Teammate Grant Golden was also named to the All-Tournament Team after registering 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists on 63 percent shooting from the field in UR's two wins.
Richmond also made significant jumps in the rankings of several national college basketball writers following its win Sunday. The Spiders moved to 16th in Jeff Goodman's (Stadium) Top 25 rankings, the same spot they occupied in the power rankings of ESPN's Jeff Borzello. Andy Katz of NCAA.com had the Spiders vaulting all the way up to ninth in his Power 36 rankings, noting that "the A-10 favorites are going to be a threat throughout the season."
The Spiders next game is Wednesday at Charleston of the Colonial Athletic Association. Tip time is 7 PM and the game will be televised by FloSports and heard on ESPN Richmond radio.
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