University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders Presented with A-10 Championship Rings, Banners Unveiled Friday Night
11/11/2022 | Men's Basketball
Richmond, Va. – Fans celebrated last year's Atlantic 10 champion men's basketball team with a presentation of the Atlantic 10 Championship rings and the unveiling of the 2022 Atlantic 10 conference champions and 2022 NCAA Tournament banners at the Robins Center Friday night.
Prior to tip against Northern Iowa, a video commemorating the team's storybook season was played before last year's championship team was presented with their rings and the banners were unveiled before a packed Robins Center.
Several members of Richmond's decorated class of 2022 were in attendance for the ceremony including Jacob Gilyard, Sullivan Kulju, Nick Sherod and Jordan Gaitley, while Nathan Cayo and Grant Golden offered virtual messages played on the video boards for fans.
Richmond native and 1,415-career point scorer Nick Sherod offered gratitude on behalf of last year's team to the fans.
"We just want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting and sticking with us," said Sherod. "And not just last year, but all the years that up to it. I know it wasn't always easy— there were ups and downs and things didn't always go according to plan— but we feel like we accomplished what we were always meant to do, and that was to become champions."
The rings feature each player's name and number and the inside of the band it etched with the scores of the four A-10 tournament games won to secure the championship title, while the banners match the same color and style as those already hung high above the court showcasing Richmond's storied history.
12 players from last year's team are on this year's roster, including a pair of 2021-22 starters in Tyler Burton and Andre Gustavson along with Matt Grace, who made the game-winning field goal in last year's A-10 semifinals and championship game.
The culminating point of Richmond's historic run came when it took down Big 10 champion and fifth-seeded Iowa, 67-63, en route to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament in Buffalo, N.Y. Last year's A-10 title was the team's seventh overall and their trip to the NCAA tournament and round of 32 marked the team's first since 2011. The team's 24 wins from the 2021-22 season mark the fourth-most in program history.
Prior to tip against Northern Iowa, a video commemorating the team's storybook season was played before last year's championship team was presented with their rings and the banners were unveiled before a packed Robins Center.
Several members of Richmond's decorated class of 2022 were in attendance for the ceremony including Jacob Gilyard, Sullivan Kulju, Nick Sherod and Jordan Gaitley, while Nathan Cayo and Grant Golden offered virtual messages played on the video boards for fans.
Richmond native and 1,415-career point scorer Nick Sherod offered gratitude on behalf of last year's team to the fans.
"We just want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting and sticking with us," said Sherod. "And not just last year, but all the years that up to it. I know it wasn't always easy— there were ups and downs and things didn't always go according to plan— but we feel like we accomplished what we were always meant to do, and that was to become champions."
The rings feature each player's name and number and the inside of the band it etched with the scores of the four A-10 tournament games won to secure the championship title, while the banners match the same color and style as those already hung high above the court showcasing Richmond's storied history.
12 players from last year's team are on this year's roster, including a pair of 2021-22 starters in Tyler Burton and Andre Gustavson along with Matt Grace, who made the game-winning field goal in last year's A-10 semifinals and championship game.
The culminating point of Richmond's historic run came when it took down Big 10 champion and fifth-seeded Iowa, 67-63, en route to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament in Buffalo, N.Y. Last year's A-10 title was the team's seventh overall and their trip to the NCAA tournament and round of 32 marked the team's first since 2011. The team's 24 wins from the 2021-22 season mark the fourth-most in program history.
Players Mentioned
Men's Basketball Press Conference - March 26th
Thursday, March 26
Men's Basketball Press Conference - March 9
Monday, March 09
Duquesne Postgame (Audio Only)
Saturday, March 07
Men's Basketball Highlights vs. Dayton
Tuesday, March 03