Spiders Head South
Richmond (12-4, 2-1 A-10) will head to Belk Arena to take on the Davidson Wildcats (7-8, 1-2 A-10) tonight at 7:00 on ESPNU. The Spiders are coming off a tough loss to Saint Louis at the Robins Center this past Saturday night. The main headline from that game was Blake Francis leaving due to a shoulder injury. Chris Mooney did not have an update to give postgame, but we now know that Francis is listed day-to-day and has a shot at playing tonight. He leads the Spiders in scoring, so having him in the lineup is a necessity for the squad at this point of the season. Tonight’s matchup will be the 52nd time these two teams have matched up, with Davidson leading 35-16. The Spiders have lost 2 straight to the Wildcats, despite going on a 4 game win streak from 2016-2018.
What to Watch For
Coach Bob McKillop’s squad have had a less than stellar start to their season, as they are currently 1 game below .500. This is a Davidson team that was projected to finish 2nd in the A-10 in the preseason rankings. Don’t let Davidson’s record fool you, because this could very well be a tough game for the Spiders. The Wildcats are led by Kellan Grady who is averaging 15.8 ppg. Jon Axel Gudmundsson is also a force for Davidson, and leads the team in rebounds with 6.2 rpg. The big question for Richmond will be is Blake Francis not only healthy enough to play, but is he healthy enough to contribute at the high level that he does. If Francis can’t go, the Spiders will need to rely heavily on the interior, as well as some bench contribution.
Prediction
I believe that Mooney will have the guys motivated and ready to roll tonight. It will be a tough task, but even tougher if Francis is hurt or not 100%. I’m going with Richmond 74 – Davidson 71 in a nail biter. Nick Sherod will continue to boost his game with some much needed 3’s, and Grant Golden will get back to playing bully ball down low. As always, be sure to follow along on Twitter at @A10Talk, as well as on our forum at www.a10talk.com. See you tonight Spider Nation!
