Game of the Night
Richmond Spiders vs. Davidson Wildcats – 7:00 ET (A10 Network)
Before the A10 season began, this may have been one of the more important games on the schedule. After all, both Richmond and Davidson were supposed to be competing for NCAA tournament spots this year. Instead, both teams have struggled over the past month or so are are in desperate need of a conference victory. Here’s what to expect:
The Essentials:
| Category | Richmond | Davidson |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 10-7 | 11-6 |
| Conference Record | 2-3 | 3-3 |
| Home Record | 7-3 | – |
| Away Record | – | 1-5 |
| Kenpom Ranking | 82 | 129 |
| RPI Ranking | 111 | 56 |
| Points Leader | Allen 20.0 | Gibbs 25.7 |
| Rebounds Leader | Allen 8.4 | Aldridge 6.4 |
| Assists Leader | Cline 4.1 | Gibbs 5.2 |
| Spread | N/A | N/A |
This is a matchup between two stars in this league: Terry Allen and Jack Gibbs. The two have combined for 45.7 PPG this season and lead their respective teams in the scoring category.
A major key for Davidson will be getting going from three-point range. The Wildcats have a 46.1 3PA%, good for 13th in the nation which signifies the importance of the long range shot in their offense. Brian Sullivan leads the team in 3PT% at 38.8% and will need to shake off some weaker recent performances and step up big. With Gibbs being the focal point of Richmond’s defensive attack, key role players like Peyton Aldridge and Jordan Barham will need to be effective in their own right. Aldridge in particular has been very consistent and is averaging over a double-double in his last three games.
For the Spiders, their scoring attack must continue to be balanced. They are one of three teams in the nation with three scorers averaging 15+ PPG, a sign that they can hit you with more than one weapon. Four players scored at least 16 points in their loss to VCU last weekend, one of which was ShawnDre’ Jones. The 5-11 guard will be facing off against the Cats’ Sullivan, who is 5-11 as well. Look for Jones to get extensive playing time as he’s been averaging 25.6 PPG over his last three outings.
Overall, Richmond has the advantage, especially because they are at home, or rather because Davidson is on the road. Forgetting their away win over Charlotte (just 30 mins from campus), the Wildcats are winless on the road this season. Judging by VCU’s late OT win over the Spiders last weekend, it’s difficult to win at the Robins Center if you’re an opposing team. The crowd was a huge factor last week and with the snow starting to clear up on the east coast, we’ll see if there is a big turnout for this game.
KenPom has Richmond winning 95-86 in a high-scoring shootout. We’ll see if that prediction comes true tonight when the two teams meet at 7:00 ET on Atlantic 10 Network.
