The University of Richmond appears to have recently received an oral commitment from a 6-0 guard, Kevin Anderson, from Duluth, Ga.
That will help one Spiders’ issue: lack of a true point guard. Now UR coach Chris Mooney and his staff need a rebounder or two. The Spiders regularly have gotten beaten badly on the boards, and the problem runs deeper than just numbers.
As UR freshman center Dan Geriot said, opponents’ game plans seem to be “get the best shot you can, then just go after the ball.“ Out of its matchup zone, Richmond has not been good at blocking out. That will be a huge concern tomorrow night at George Washington, which doesn’t have a dominant big man, but does have a bunch of long and bouncy forwards.
Against the last team UR played that very much wanted to push the tempo - Duquesne - the Spiders were able to limit their turnovers and get back on defense to reduce Dukes transition opportunities. That will again be significant tomorrow at GW.
“They get a lot of recognition on their athleticism and defense,“ Mooney said of the Colonials. “I’m always real impressed on how they pass the ball and share the ball and how skillful those guys are.
“I hope we can play well enough to be competitive for the entire game.“
The trip to The Smith Center, GW’s home court, will be another learning experience for UR’s five freshmen. It’s relatively small - 5,000-seat capacity - but can be the loudest arena in the Atlantic 10 Conference when the students are motivated.