Welcome to A10 Talk’s Top 25 Player Countdown. Each day, we publish a new article counting down the 25 best players in the Atlantic 10 this past season. Today, we feature #9 TJ Cline.
The son of “Lady Magic” clocks in at #9. TJ has broken the label of being Nancy Lieberman’s son. TJ Cline now has carved his own legacy at Richmond. After a strong first year, Cline was poised for a breakout year. Cline became the Spiders go-to guy during conference play. This year TJ will be the unanimous leader of this Richmond squad.
Best Performances:
TJ’s best performance came in a loss against Dayton. Cline dropped 36 points on 13-20 shooting. He also grabbed 2 board and dished 3 assists. The Flyers didn’t have an answer for Cline. TJ willed the Spiders to keep it close, but ultimately came up short. The Spiders lost by 1.
Another notable performance came in the A10 tournament against Fordham. Cline scored 17 points while grabbing 9 board and dishing 3 assists.
Key Stats:
There is one word to describe TJ Cline, efficient. His 61% effective field goal percentage ranks 3rd in the A-10. Cline ranks 10th in the A-10 in offensive rating. He became an integral part of the Spider offense as the season went on. Cline was used on 29.4% of the possessions for the Spiders, which is 2nd in the conference. He will be the centerpiece for this upcoming Richmond team.
Team Effort:
In his two years, Cline has become one of the most beloved players at Richmond. TJ only seems to be getting better every year. Cline will look to lead the Spiders to their first NCAA Tournament since 2011. This will be an uphill battle as the Spiders have a very young, unproven team. If there is anyone who is up for the challenge it’s TJ Cline.
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