UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Hoopstown USA will be on the national stage Thursday when Richmond hosts No. 16 ranked city-rival VCU in a sold out Atlantic 10 showdown televised on the CBS Sports Network.
The Black & Blue Classic Presented By Call Federal Credit Union is the first of two meetings between the schools in VCU's inaugural season in the Atlantic 10. This will be the first conference meeting between the two schools since 2001, when both teams were members of the CAA.
VCU brings a 13-game winning streak and No. 22 national ranking into the Robins Center, where the Rams lost to the Spiders in their last visit in 2011.
Richmond is 12-7 and 2-2 in the Atlantic 10 despite playing without leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Derrick Williams, the Spiders' only big man with previous collegiate experience.
Both schools have enjoyed national success over the last four years, with the Spiders making back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and finishing in the Top-25 in 2010 and 2011 and the Rams reaching back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2011 and 2012.
Virginia's Capital City became known as Hoopstown USA in March of 2011 when both school's advanced to the Sweet 16.
Spider great Johnny Newman will be honored as part of the 100th Season of Richmond Basketball and the first 800 fans will receive his bobblehead.
The Massey Cancer Center is partnering with VCU and Richmond, teaming up to fight cancer. Visit the Massey Cancer Center on the concourse to purchase cheer signs in honor of those who have battled cancer with all proceeds going toward the Massey Cancer Center. There will also be a special recognition on the court during the second half.
The first 2,000 fans will receive special fan designed t-shirts and halftime entertainment includes Estefania, as seen on America's Got Talent and Smitty's Karaoke.
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• Black & Blue Classic Presented By Call Federal Credit Union is the first of two meetings between Richmond and VCU. This will be their first conference meeting since a CAA match-up in 2001. Richmond has won 7 of the last 9 conference meetings between the two schools.
• Richmond and VCU have enjoyed national success over the last 4 years, with the Spiders making back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and finishing in the Top-25 in 2010 and 2011 and the Rams reaching back-to-back NCAA Tourneys in 2011 and 2012. Both teams played in the 2011 Sweet 16 earning Richmond the nickname Hoopstown USA.
• Richmond continues to play without junior forward Derrick Williams - the only Spider big man with any prior collegiate experience. The Spiders will be without Williams, who is 2nd on the team in scoring and leads the team in rebounding, for the 6th-straight game. He is expected to be out at least two more weeks. Richmond is 3-2 without Williams, including an 81-61 win over Charlotte (15-3, 3-1).
• Richmond has won 7 of the last 12 games against ranked teams.
• The Spiders are 10-1 at home this season and are 50-9 in their last 59 home games. Richmond is shooting 40.0 percent from three at home, while holding opponents to 28.1 shooting from behind the arc.
• Senior Darien Brothers scored the first 17 points on his way to a career-high 39 against Charlotte, the most points for a Spider since Bob McCurdy scored 54 in 1976. Brothers tied the school record with 8 three-pointers vs. Charlotte. He leads the A-10 and is 2nd in the nation in three-point percentage at 50.9 percent. The Richmond native is 4th on Richmond’s all-time career list for three-point percentage at 41.6 percent and is tied with Kevin Anderson for 6th on the career list for three-pointers with 176. He is 31st on Richmond’s all-time scoring list with 1,102 career points and 7th in the A-10 in scoring at 16.2 ppg. Brothers is 4th in the A-10 and 24th in the nation in three-pointers made per game (2.89) and is 3rd in the A-10 in 30th in the nation in free throw pct (882.).
• The Spiders are 3rd in A-10 wins over the last 6 years (53), behind only Xavier and Temple.
• Richmond leads the A-10 and is 29th in the nation in three-point percentage (.380). The Spiders are 2nd in the A-10 and 26th in the country in three-pointers per game (8.3), behind VCU (8.7).
