Richmond Basketball: 3 keys for Spiders to upset No. 11 West Virginia
Richmond Basketball will have a prime opportunity to pick up their biggest win of the season this afternoon, traveling to Morgantown to take on West Virginia.
Sunday afternoon will feature a top-25 showdown in Final Four caliber – and dark horse – squads in 19th-ranked Richmond Basketball and 11th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers. Both teams are currently looking for resume-building victories – and Sunday’s game will provide just that for one of these programs.
After being forced to pause after their 12-point win over Kentucky in Rupp, the Spiders have looked sluggish in their first two games back, picking up a five-point win over Wofford and a ten-point victory against Northern Iowa. Richmond has been led by a quintuple of double-digit scorers, with Grant Golden (15.3 ppg) leading the way.
The Mountaineers have also had their hands full in their last two games, escaping Georgetown with an 80-71 win before claiming their home opener over North Texas, 62-50, just days later. West Virginia has been paced by the sensational Derek Culver (14.5 ppg and 10.7 rpg), one of the most dominant – and physical – big men in the country.
It is odd to say both teams are looking for a resume-building win considering the teams they have clinched victories over – but this would be the biggest one yet for either team. West Virginia’s best win, arguably, has been over a Western Kentucky team that has not yet lived up to their potential. Richmond’s best win, meanwhile, was at Kentucky – and we all know how the Wildcats have performed since that game.
For Richmond, however, this game would truly give them a chance to prove their legitimacy to the rest of college basketball. Their win over Kentucky has not aged particularly well, and West Virginia, at least, has a five-point loss to Gonzaga under their belts. In addition, the Spiders have been dangerously close to – if they have not already – losing their spot as the best team in the A-10, with Saint Louis taking the reigns during their pause.
I mentioned that Richmond has looked sluggish since their pause, and that has – understandably – put some people on the fence about just how good this team truly is. If the Spiders hope to eliminate those worries, they have the opportunity to do that today – against the best team on their schedule. They will not get an opportunity like this until they take on Saint Louis in late January.
They will have to work for it, though. West Virginia has become known for its tenacious defense, and Bobby Huggins has some incredibly gifted defensive talents at his disposal – particularly inside. They are not a stellar shooting team whatsoever, however – one area that Richmond desperately needs to take advantage of if they hope to win. In addition to that – there are a few other keys for a potential Richmond victory.