UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond looks for its first 3-0 start since 2006-07 when the Spiders host Hampton Thursday in the Nationa of Coaches Classic in the Robins Center.
THE LATEST
- The Spiders host Hampton in an in-season tournament for the second-straight season. Last year Richmond hosted Hampton in the Cancun Challenge, defeating the Pirates 72-51 behind 15 points from Darien Brothers. Tonight's meeting is part of the Nation of Coaches Classic. The in-state rivals have met just 4 times on the hardwood with the Spiders winning all three meetings in Richmond.
- This is the second of 4 games the Spiders will play in the Nation of Coaches Classic. Richmond will host Wofford next Tuesday and then travel to Ohio next Saturday. After Tuesday's 101-58 victory over UNCW in the Nation of Coaches Classic opener, the Spiders are 12-1 in regular season tournament play over the last 4 seasons. Richmond won the 2009 South Padre Island Invitational with wins over Mississippi St. and Missouri and the 2010 Chicago Invitational with a win over No. 8 ranked Purdue.
- The Spiders won their opener over Liberty by 42 points and the second game against UNCW by 43 points, matching the 1955-56 team for the largest margin of victory (42.5) through 2 games in 100 seasons of Richmond basketball. The 1955-56 team defeated Hampden-Sydney by 42 and Randolph-Macon by 43 points.
- Richmond is 42-8 in its last 50 home games and 29-4 in the last 32 non-conference home games dating back to the 2007-08 season.
- The Spiders are 2-0 for the third-straight season and the seventh time in the last 11 years. Richmond has not started 3-0 since 2006-07 season.
- Richmond scored more points against UNCW (101) than it has allowed (100) in its first two games combined. The Spiders have 58 points off turnovers and 89 bench points through two games.
- After back-to-back NCAA Tournament and Top-25 finishes in 2010 and 2011, the Spiders graduated the most career points in the nation (5,737). After winning 26 and 29 games, an inexperienced Spider squad went 16-16 last season. Richmond did pick up some good wins, defeating Temple and Dayton at home and gutting out a road win late in the year at preseason favorite Saint Joseph's.
- The Spiders return 4 of their top-5 scorers, including one of the best backcourts in the league in Darien Brothers, Cedrick Lindsay and 2012 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Kendall Anthony. Look for sophomore Wayne Sparrow, who was coming on strong to start conference play before missing the last 10 games with a broken hand, to also see significant time in the backcourt.
- Richmond's frontcourt is short on experience, but showed in an August trip to Italy that they have talent. Joining man-child Derrick Williams and Greg Robbins are a group of forwards with zero collegiate experience, but plenty of length, athleticism and talent.
- Senior Darien Brothers has made 125 career three-pointers, needing 23 treys to crack Richmond's top-10 career list. He made 68 three-pointers last season, which was just outside the Spiders' top-10 single-season list for threes.
- Brothers set Richmond's single-season record for free throw percentage last winter at 89.1 percent. He is currently second on Richmond's career list for free throw percentage at 82.6.
- With Kendall Anthony earning Rookie of the Year last season, the Spiders received plenty of production from the freshman class, but Anthony was the only freshman that played in a game. The other three freshmen who arrived at Richmond with Anthony decided it was in their best interests to redshirt the season. Alonzo Nelson-Ododa, Trey Davis and Luke Piotrowski will make their debuts for Richmond this season.
Quick Hitters
The Spiders have held the opposition to 60 points or less 101 times in 233 games under Chris Mooney...Bleacher Report rated Richmond's non-conference schedule the 10th toughest in the nation...this year's senior class needs 14 wins to tie the 2011 and 2012 classes as the winningest in Richmond basketball history...Darien Brothers ranked 15th in the nation in free throw percentage last season at 89.1 percent...Richmond is 80-37 (.684) in its last 117 games.
100 Years Of Spider Basketball
This is the 100th season of Spider basketball and the season long celebration kicked off at the season opener Friday with Richmond sporting retro uniforms and the first of some of Richmond's greatest basketball moments being honored. E. Claiborne Robins had a banner raised to the rafters for his generosity in bringing Spider basketball back to campus with the opening of the state-of-the-art Robins Center in 1972. On Tuesday the 2004 team's win at No. 10 ranked Kansas was featured with former Spider star Mike Skrocki being honored at halftime. Skrocki scored 23 points as the Spiders snapped the Jayhawks' 52-game winning streak against unranked non-conference opponents. Tony Dobbins' last-second jumper gave the Spiders a 69-68 victory at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. For more on the 100th Season Celebration visit SpiderBasketball100.com.
Ragni In Italy
The Spiders took a two-week trip to Italy and Switzerland in August. The team bonding experience helped the Spiders off the court and gave the freshmen a chance to gain game experience on it. Freshman Terry Allen averaged 12.0 points per game, including a game-high 21 points in the finale. Freshman Deion Taylor averaged 10.0 points per game, including a game-high 17 in the second game. Redshirt Freshman Alozono Nelson-Ododa averaged 12.0 points per game with 20 points in the finale and redshirt freshman Trey Davis grabbed 11 rebounds in the opener. The trip was featured in a TV Show on Richmond Basketball that aired on Comcast SportsNet last week.
Mooney Making An Impact Off The Court
Chris Mooney was the subject of an extremely well written article by ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil in October. The story, which was only known by program insiders for the last few years, was about how Mooney went out of his way to help former student manager Robyn Jacobs Sordelett when her father passed away. Mooney flew with Jacobs home to Connecticut, attended the funeral and then he and his wife Lia allowed Robyn to stay in their home when she returned to school the following semester. In September, Mooney walked Robyn down the aisle when she married her Dustin Sordelett. Robyn sat down for an interview for the Richmond Basketball TV Show that aired on Comcast SportsNet.
Easy As A (Anthony)-B (Brothers)-C (Ced)
Richmond has boasted one of the best backcourts in the Atlantic 10 over the last few years and that will be the case again this winter. The Spiders return three guards that averaged double-figures in points last season, two of which were keys to the 2011 Sweet 16 run and the third coming off winning the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year award last season. Senior Darien Brothers is in his third season as a starter, having led the Spiders in scoring at 14.6 points per game in 2011-12. Junior Cedrick Lindsay, who averaged 11.2 points per game last season, is in his second year as a starter and was a key reserve on the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship and Sweet 16 team. Sophomore Kendall Anthony, the 2012 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, will come off the bench again this season after finishing second on the team at 13.0 points per game. Look for sophomore guard Wayne Sparrow to have a breakout year. Sparrow was coming into his own in conference play last season, before breaking his hand and missing the last 10 games.
Like Father, Like Son
Redshirt freshman Trey Davis follows in his father's footsteps with the Spiders. Trey's father John Davis was a Hall of Fame forward for Dick Tarrant from 1982-86, helping the Spiders to two NCAA Tournaments and an NIT. This is the third father-son duo to play for the Spiders, joining Jeff Butler (1975-77) and Ryan Butler (2005-10) and Tony DiServio (1945-47) and Pat DiServio (1981-83).
Atop The A-10
Chris Mooney has the Spiders in the top-3 in the league in A-10 wins over the previous 5 years (2007-08 through 2011-12). Xavier has 65 wins, Temple has 63, Richmond has 51, Saint Louis has 44 and Dayton has 43. Richmond is 35-15 in its last 50 Atlantic 10 regular-season games and 40-16 in its last 56 games vs. A-10 teams, including a 5-2 mark the last three A-10 Tournaments. The Spiders have played in two of the last three A-10 title games, winning the championship in 2011.
Giant Killers To Giants
Richmond earned a reputation for being Giant Killers with its NCAA Tournament victories in the 1980s and 90s, but the Spiders' victories over so-called Giants have become the norm. Richmond won 5 of 7 games against BCS conference teams last season, the most in school history. The Spiders are 11-6 in their last 17 games against BCS conference teams and Chris Mooney has 16 wins over BCS conference teams in 8 years as a D-I head coach, including 14 in 8 seasons at Richmond. The Spiders have defeated a team from all 6 BCS conferences in Mooney's tenure, including multiple wins against the Big East (5), SEC (3) and ACC (3). Richmond is 7-3 in the last 10 games against ranked teams and has won 8 of its last 13 games against ranked teams. The Spiders finished the 2009-10 season ranked No. 24 in the nation and 2011-12 ranked No. 21.
Tenacious D
Richmond has not allowed more than 68.2 points per game in a season during Mooney's tenure, including holding teams to 62.7 ppg in 2009-10 and 62.0 points per game in 2010-11. The Spiders have held opponents to 50 points or less 28 times under Mooney and have held teams to 60 points or less 101 times. Richmond has allowed more than 80 or more points in regulation just 17 times in 233 games under Mooney.
The Champs Are Here
The Spiders have won three tournaments in the last three seasons. Richmond won won the 2011 Atlantic 10 Tournament, the 2010 Chicago Invitational Challenge in November, defeating No. 8 Purdue in the title game, and the 2009 South Padre Island Invitational, defeating defending SEC Champion Mississippi State in the semifinals and defending Big 12 Champion Missouri in the title game. The Spiders are 12-1 in regular-season tournament play over the past 4 seasons and 18-4 in tournament play, including the last two NCAA Tourneys.
The Wedding Planner
Richmond head coach Chris Mooney started his collegiate coaching career as a part time head coach at Beaver College (now Arcadia College) in 1997. Mooney's full-time job was as the school's coordinator of events and as part of that job he had to book weddings at a castle that was on the Glenside, Pa. campus. He showed the castle to newly engaged couples and helped them to decide where the band should play and how tables should be arranged. "I was 25 years old and I'd never even had people over to dinner," Mooney says. "And here I am helping brides prepare for weddings." With no team managers, Mooney washed the uniforms, swept the court and filled water coolers. The team had just six players on the roster during most of Mooney's first season, so when the captains met with the referees before games, the other players had to stop warm-ups and wait.
