NCAA Basketball: Teams impacted most by unique 2020 offseason

1. Teams who had an advantage compared to others this offseason – Richmond

There is one team in America that was tailor-made for a big season in 2020-21 despite COVID19. Chris Mooney’s Spiders return four seniors who either tested or thought about testing the NBA waters from a 24-7 team who would have been the run-away Atlantic 10 champion had Obi Toppin never been born.

Let’s spend a little time on Richmond.

Jacob Gilyard, Blake Francis, Nick Sherod, Nathan Cayo, and Grant Golden are the only fully intact starting five that returns this year for a contending program. While three of them thought about the NBA, the Richmond community was never too worried about it. Gilyard (12.7 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 5.7 Ast), a Kansas City native, is potentially the best incoming point guard in the country, and with Francis (17.7 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 2.0 Ast) returning beside him, the Spiders should have one of the best backcourts in the nation.

Richmond is also stacked in the frontcourt. Golden (13.4 Pts, 6.9 Reb, 3.4 Ast), Sherod (12.7 Pts, 5.4 Reb, 1.6 Ast), and Cayo (8.9 Pts, 5.3 Reb, 0.9 Ast) are ready to carry a team in the post and all three can also play on the wing. Golden had legitimate chances of being drafted in the second round, and even if he had left, incoming sophomore Tyler Burton would have been ready to step in for him. This Richmond team is for real.

They have five senior starters who already know that they mesh well and have a coach in Chris Mooney who is due for his big splash. If the Spiders don’t have the kind of year that will have Mooney in line for multiple major jobs next season, it will be surprising. I liken Richmond to Seth Curry’s Davison team in the late 2000s. A ton of firepower, leadership, and consistency, with a cold-blooded closer in Francis who just might take them to the promised land.