WH

RICHMOND
Last year: 8-22 (4-12), 12th place

ARENA
Robins Center
Seats: 9,171
Average Attendance: 4,023

COACH
Chris Mooney, 3rd year (4th overall)
Record at Richmond: 21-39 (39-51 overall; 43.3% winning percentage)


ROSTER
2 Chris Richard FR PG 6-3 175 Portland, OR
4 Jarhon Giddings JR F 6-9 235 Clemmons, NC
*5 David Gonzalvez SO G 6-4 200 Marietta, GA/Notre Dame Prep (MA)
*11 Oumar Sylla SR G/F 6-7 230 Mali/Long Island, NY/Valparaiso
12 Kevin Smith FR WF 6-5 180 Murfreesboro, TN
14 Kevin Anderson FR PG 5-11 165 Duluth, GA
15 Gaston Moliva SR PF 6-7 240 Cameroon/Ryan Academy (VA)
21 Kevin Hovde SO G/F 6-5 200 Kennett Square, PA
31 Conor Smith FR WF 6-8 200 Brookfield, WS
32 Justin Harper FR F 6-9 210 Richmond, VA
*40 Dan Geriot SO F/C 6-9 235 Springfield, PA
44 Ryan Butler SO WG 6-6 200 Richmond, VA

*Returning starters


OVERVIEW

The Spiders are in the second year of a youth movement under third-year coach Chris Mooney (who’s pretty young himself) and the growing pains are far from over. After welcoming seven freshmen last year – three of whom left – Richmond has added five more newcomers.

Building a program anew takes time, however, and Richmond does not have enough size and experience to hasten the process, so the team will have to rely on its four sophomores to lead the way. Fortunately for Mooney two of those sophomores are potential stars. Dan Geriot might be the most talented young center in the A-10 and versatile guard David Gonzalvez was a big surprise as a freshman.

Richmond is not entirely deficient in senior leadership. Power forward Gaston Moliva and swingman Oumar Sylla add plenty of athleticism and experience. Sylla missed half of last season and Moliva sat out all but one game.

And for the first time in Mooney’s tenure, the Spiders will actually have a true point guard on the roster – two of them, in fact. Both are freshmen, but they’ll give Richmond some badly needed speed and playmaking in the backcourt.

While all the youth gives the Spiders hope for the future, it also makes Mooney’s job harder. After the season ended, some players revolted in frustration over the coach’s William Buckley-style offense: slow and deliberate to the point of caricature. Mooney has promised to speed up the offense, but the Princeton style is about finding good shots, not rushing them.

The players have been given a voice. Now they need to talk the talk – and do so in a language that the players and Mooney both understand.


DEPARTED PLAYERS

Brian Morris – Slight 6-5 guard transferred to Towson State to join an older brother who’s on the coaching staff. Morris (8.1 ppg) was forced to handle the ball and help run the offense (2.8 apg) because the Spiders lacked a true point. He did a good job for a freshman playing out of position. He limited turnovers and generally made sound decisions, though his offense suffered. A long-range marksmen in high school, Morris shot just 37.8% overall and 33.8% on treys. His thin frame also handicapped Morris on defense.

Peter Thomas – Former walk-on was the epitome of reliable. He rarely turned the ball over, took good shots (6.5 ppg, 53% FG) and played sound defense. On a more talented team, Thomas would not have started every game, but he lent stability to a young squad.

Drew Crank – The 6-11 center (5.2 pg, 2.4 rpg, 55% FG) decided not to play in his final year. Recruited by former coach Jerry Wainwright, Crank was not a good fit for the current system. His size and post-up ability were never fully utilized and he was unsuited for the zone defenses favored by Mooney. Still, his departure deprives the program of its biggest player. The experienced Crank could have helped against larger A-10 teams.

David Brewster – Rangy 6-6 shooter, the best athlete in last year’s promising crop of freshmen, only played in 13 games (starting five). He was suspended for academic reasons and later transferred. Brewster had the tools to become a good player, but he lacked attentiveness on the court and in the classroom.


RETURNING PLAYERS

Dan Geriot – The 6-9 sophomore (11.9 ppg, 50.4% FG) is not especially quick and doesn’t have great hops, but he might be the most skilled bigman in the A-10. Geriot can shoot the trey (38% 3PG), put the ball on the floor and finish with either hand. Geriot is no slouch in the post, either. He likes to turn and face up for short jumpers, but he also has a variety of moves with his back to the basket. He scored in double figures 19 times, including a career high 27 in a loss to Fordham in the A-10 tournament. Geriot is also dangerous as a passer (42 assists) who finds the cutters, especially from the top of the key. He’s an ideal fit for the Princeton offense.

Geriot’s biggest struggle was physical. Stronger defenders could muscle him up and Geriot lacked the strength to rebound effectively (3.1 rpg) or defend the post. He committed 107 fouls –fouling out of six games - and needs to play smarter on defense. In the off-season, Geriot added 20 pounds to push his listed weight to 235 in an effort to withstand the rigors of the post. He’ll win a greater share of the low-post wars as his body matures and he gets stronger. Before long Geriot could be an All-Conference performer. He’s the key to Richmond’s hopes of returning the program to its winning ways.

David Gonzalvez – Sophomore guard is not very flashy, but he has the skills, toughness and athleticism to be a very good player in the A-10. Perhaps the least heralded recruit in a six-man class, Gonzalvez (9.6 ppg, 40% FG, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg) quickly established himself as the second-best player after Geriot. He can play all three wing positions and has the potential to be a superior defender. Heady as well as headstrong, he knows how to take advantage of mismatches. When guarded by bigger defenders, Gonzalvez takes them off the dribble. If matched up with smaller players, he shoots over them or posts up. He wants the ball in his hands at the end of games and doesn’t shy away from the pressure.

What Gonzalvez needs to improve is his shooting (30.4% 3PG) and decision making (65 assists to 64 turnovers). Mooney also has to make sure Gonzalvez doesn’t take too many liberties in his offense. Gonzalvez almost transferred after the season and was the player who pushed the hardest for the coach to loosen the leash.

Ryan Butler – The 6-6 redshirt sophomore, anointed for stardom by Mooney, sparkled some of the time and struggled the rest. Butler has a quick trigger and deep, deep range. In a loss to Old Dominion, he dropped in 5 treys, and he hit 3 treys in five other games. Like Gonzalvez, he’s also got the ball-handling ability and size to drive or post up. Yet Butler made too many poor decisions with the ball (62 turnovers) and took too many hasty shots. His court time fell in conference play and he saw just 5 minutes of action in each of the last two games. Butler has the talent to be an A-10 starter. Now he’s got to show the decision making to go along with an impressive set of skills.

Oumar Sylla – The defense-minded utility player sat out the first 14 games owing to a theft-related incident on campus. When he returned, Sylla showed much improvement offensively. He scored 6.8 points a game and even connected on 9-22 treys (41%) – not bad for a player who had shot 21.7% on 3-pointers for his career. Sylla retooled an ugly-looking jumper and did not rush his shots as much, though his release point is still unusually low. A long and athletic 6-7, however, Sylla usually launched his shots without much trouble. The Spiders would welcome an encore performance in Sylla’s final year, but they don’t need his scoring as much as his defense, speed and experience. With long arms and quick feet, he’s a good fit for the zone defenses Mooney employs.

Gaston Moliva – Mooney hopes to see the 240-pound bruiser after an injury-induced redshirt year (he scored 9 points and grabbed 8 boards in the only game he played). Moliva was lost to surgery after he fractured a bone in one foot and he had similar surgery on the other foot in September, though the problem was considered less severe. He might be back in time to start the season.

Moliva has never achieved the success anticipated by Spider fans after a tremendous freshman season, but he is the toughest and most physical player on the roster and will anchor the Richmond middle. Surprising light on his feet, Moliva is a good shotblocker and rebounder and stout defender in the post. Though not a major offensive threat, he’s capable of scoring 9 or 10 points a game just by being opportunistic. His main job in the Princeton offense is to set picks, roll off screens and crash the glass. Geriot will usually be a focal point on the blocks unless Moliva suddenly unveils a heretofore-lacking post game. The Spiders need him for other things.

Jarhon Giddings –The 6-9 redshirt junior, once a very promising recruit, has been hobbled by a chronic shin condition. Giddings played just 11 minutes a game, averaging 3.2 points and 1.5 boards. He mostly sticks to the perimeter and is decent outside shooter (33% 3PG). Surprisingly he led the team in blocks with 13, but that was mostly a reflection of Richmond’s weak interior defense. Unless he fully regains his health, expect more of the same from Giddings.

Kevin Hovde – Recruited walk-on (3.2 ppg, 15 mpg) started six games and scored 24 points in a loss to a run-and-gun VMI squad, but he failed to reach double figures in any other game. The heady Hovde is a solid all-round player and good outside shooter (10-22 treys, 45.5% 3PG). He won’t become a focal point of opposing defenses, but he has the ability to be a semi-regular contributor in the A-10.


NEWCOMERS

Kevin Anderson – Speedy 6-0 floor general from Georgia came on strong his senior year before committing to Richmond. He's a good ball-handler and dribble-penetrator with a solid outside shot. He’s one of several smaller players Richmond signed to help run Mooney's offense and supply badly needed defense against the quick point guards that prevail in the A-10.

Justin Harper - Philadelphia native, who spent his formative years in Richmond, was considered talented enough to receive an offer from Providence College in the Big East. The combo forward is a fine athlete with versatile skills. He's a good rebounder and passer and an accurate shooter out to the 3-point line. He's not strong enough to hold down the fort in the paint, though, and is more of an outside-in player at this stage of his career. Harper and sophomore-to-be Dan Geriot eventually could form a potent tandem at the forward slots because of their shooting ability.

Kevin Smith – Athletic swingman from Tennessee was a post player during most of his high school career but switched to point as a senior. Though he doesn’t excel in any one area, Smith is a decent shooter, passer, ball-handler and defender. He has the sort of versatility that Mooney likes for his version of the Princeton offense.

Chris Richard – Combo guard from the West Coast is a good 3-point shooter. He played on a talent-rich squad and did not up big numbers, but Richard displayed suitable skills and physical ability to impress the coaching staff. He is bigger than Anderson and a better shooter than Smith. “Chris wasn't asked to score big points every night,” high school coach Pat Coons told the Richmond Dispatch. “He is a very good defender and very athletic."

Conor Smith – The 6-8 forward from Wisconsin has good genes: His father played in the Big 10 for the Badgers in the 1970s. Smith’s main asset is his ability to stretch defenses. He once hit eight 3-pointers in a single game.


SCOUTING REPORT

Despite all the losses, Richmond was competitive in most of its games. The Spiders won at South Florida and led on the road at halftime at Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. The Spiders also played their best ball at the end. They beat St. Joseph’s 78-68 and Rhode Island 71-69 in the last week of the regular season and lost 63-61 to fifth-seeded Fordham in the A-10 tournament.

Some of those losses will turn into wins this season. The team returns all but one of its key players and should have Moliva and Sylla for the full year. The sophomores have also done a lot of growing up – and not just due to tons of playing time. Geriot and Co. have spent plenty of time in the weightroom. The Spiders won’t get physically mauled again or wear down as easily in the second half.

"A lot of these guys had to grow up quickly," Mooney told the Richmond Dispatch. "I think they did experience-wise. Now their bodies have to catch up."

To make a dramatic leap forward, though, Richmond has to get better in a number of areas. Defense and rebounding were blatant sore spots. The Spiders let A-10 opponents shoot nearly 49% and were outrebounded by a whopping 10 boards a game.

Rebounding "has got to be a huge focus for us," Mooney says.

The return of Moliva and newfound strength of the sophomores will help close the rebounding gap. A more seasoned and athletic Richmond squad better accustomed to Mooney’s switching man and zone tactics can also be expected to play better defense.

Point play and 3-point shooting – a must-have skill in the Princeton offense – also have to improve. With Morris gone, Mooney has to break in another freshman at point, although Gonzalvez can run the offense some of the time.

And while Richmond has some good shooters, the team only hit 35% of its treys to finish 10th in the A-10. Backdoor cuts in Mooney’s offense are less effective if defenders can pack the middle.

The best shooter of the returnees, Ryan Butler, blew hot and cold. Without more consistent shooting, Richmond’s offense could sputter again. The Spiders were last in scoring at a paltry 60.6 points a game.


PREDICTION

When any A-10 team has nine sophomores and freshmen, the future is rarely now. Better things await, just not this year. Mooney’s sophomores and five frosh will have to attend additional sessions in the school of hard knocks.

If they learn their lessons well, Richmond will be a tougher out once league play starts. Geriot gives the Spiders a major presence in the post – low or high – and Gonzalvez is tough to handle on the perimeter. Fifth-year seniors Moliva and Sylla will also make big contributions, and this time around the freshmen don’t have to be fed to the wolves.

Opponents should be particularly wary in the Spider’s lair. A few good teams are likely to feel the sting of an upset. Just ask St. Joseph’s and Rhode Island.

Richmond is almost certain to improve on last year’s 8-win total, but the Spiders still face a hard climb in an increasingly competitive A-10. Consider it a success if last year’s 12th-place finisher takes two or three more steps up the ladder.

Record: 13-16 (5-11), 12th Place