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BRANDON LANG
10 DIME - RICHMOND SPIDERS - Great matchup for the Spiders.
When you are a disciplined team like Richmond is, and you face a team that borders on the undisciplined, ideally the game favors the disciplined.
Richmond comes off a tough 8 point loss to VCU on the road which saw them blow a 9 point halftime lead - which I know didn't set well with head coach Chris Mooney.
This is a team that won 20 games last year, returns 4 starters from that squad including his starting backcourt of Kevin Anderson and David Gonzales.
In the frontcourt they return everyone and get back from a knee injury their starting center from 2 years ago Dan Geriot, who only led them in scoring and rebounding during the '07-08 season.
They already own neutral site wins over SEC foe Mississippi State, and Big 12 Missouri, and in getting off to 7-2 start is exactly what the doctored ordered and they still have games versus Florida and Wake Forest upcoming.
To put it bluntly, anything less than an NCAA tourney bid will be a disapppointing season for this Richmond team.
Yes, their 2 losses were on the road to the aforementioned VCU and at William and Mary, but allow me to point out those are both 6-2 teams that both returned 4 starters and are having great seasons.
South Carolina comes off an 11 point loss at Clemson and what alarms me is their 97-93 win at home to Jacksonville, a team that hasn't won a game this year.
You start allowing no win teams put up 93 points on you and it tells me you are not as good as advertised.
Richmond will put the Gamecocks in a half court set, force them to execute every single possession and trust me folks, it's not the strength of South Carolina.
In a complete contrast of styles, I will side with the smarter more disciplined team that will out execute, out defend, hit their free throws and possibly get the outright win.
FREE SELECTION - EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
10 DIME - RICHMOND SPIDERS - Great matchup for the Spiders.
When you are a disciplined team like Richmond is, and you face a team that borders on the undisciplined, ideally the game favors the disciplined.
Richmond comes off a tough 8 point loss to VCU on the road which saw them blow a 9 point halftime lead - which I know didn't set well with head coach Chris Mooney.
This is a team that won 20 games last year, returns 4 starters from that squad including his starting backcourt of Kevin Anderson and David Gonzales.
In the frontcourt they return everyone and get back from a knee injury their starting center from 2 years ago Dan Geriot, who only led them in scoring and rebounding during the '07-08 season.
They already own neutral site wins over SEC foe Mississippi State, and Big 12 Missouri, and in getting off to 7-2 start is exactly what the doctored ordered and they still have games versus Florida and Wake Forest upcoming.
To put it bluntly, anything less than an NCAA tourney bid will be a disapppointing season for this Richmond team.
Yes, their 2 losses were on the road to the aforementioned VCU and at William and Mary, but allow me to point out those are both 6-2 teams that both returned 4 starters and are having great seasons.
South Carolina comes off an 11 point loss at Clemson and what alarms me is their 97-93 win at home to Jacksonville, a team that hasn't won a game this year.
You start allowing no win teams put up 93 points on you and it tells me you are not as good as advertised.
Richmond will put the Gamecocks in a half court set, force them to execute every single possession and trust me folks, it's not the strength of South Carolina.
In a complete contrast of styles, I will side with the smarter more disciplined team that will out execute, out defend, hit their free throws and possibly get the outright win.
FREE SELECTION - EAST CAROLINA PIRATES