Providence at Richmond (+1) - 4:30pm Pacific

This is a nice spot for the Spiders.  They have played a very aggressive schedule and this will be just their fourth home game of the season and first one in 20 days.  Their first three home games were all double digit wins.  This is a key game for Richmond as they get a rare chance to knock off a high RPI team from the Big East on their home court.  Richmond has lost four games but all have been away from home vs good teams and there has not been a single game that they have not been competitive in.

 

The Spiders have four starters back plus senior guard Reggie Brown who led the team in scoring two years ago.  Freshman point guard Daon Merritt has brought in some needed quickness and ball handling to the backcourt.  Senior guard Tony Dobbins is a monster on the defensive end and senior G/F Mike Skrocki can score in many different ways.  Senior center Eric Zwayer and sophomore center Kevin Steenberge take turns giving quality minutes in the post.  Junior forwards Patrick O'Malley and Jamaal Scott are solid.  This is an experienced, upperclassmen dominated team and they are well coached. 

 

Providence got a big come from behind win over Illinois at MSG as the Illini just collapsed in the second half.  The Friars then did not play for 12 days before beating Central Connecticut by only five points on Sunday.  CCU led by double digits in first half and by 4 at half-time.  This will be just the second "true" road game of the season for Providence with the first being a 10 point loss at Rhode Island.  On the season the Friars are allowing opponents to hit 44.3% from the field and 41.0% from behind the arc, ranking dead last of 14 Big East teams in both categories.  That just is not going to get it done, especially on the road. 

 

Providence actually beat Richmond twice last season by an average margin of 23.5 points.  The first meeting came at Providence as Richmond was fresh off a huge upset win at Stanford two days earlier and caught a redeye flight to New England the day prior to the game.  The second was a very uninspiring first round NIT game in which Richmond shot just 29% from the field.  Top Spiders Skrocki and Dobbins combined to shoot 0-for-14.  Certainly, Richmond has had this game circled and is looking forward to this rematch opportunity.  The Spiders are coming off am 8 point loss to Manhattan in New York.  They rallied to tie the score with 3:00 left but still ended up losing.  Respected head coach Jerry Wainwright afterwards said, "That wasn't a very good indication of how we can play."  Expect a big effort and a win at home from the Spiders today.

 

Richmond  1 UNIT