Richmond vs Davidson: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

Atlantic 10 play gets into full swing this week, and the match-up between Richmond and Davidson is one of the most intriguing games on the slate.

Game time: Wednesday, December 30, 7:00 p.m. ET

TV schedule: CBS Sports Network

Location: John M. Belk Arena, Davidson, North Carolina

Technically, conference play in the Atlantic 10 began back on December 16th. But things will really start rolling this Wednesday all 14 teams in action and 10 of them playing their first A-10 tilt of the season. Let the fun begin. There are a number of intriguing games lined up before the new year, but a lot of eyes will be on one in particular: the Richmond Spiders at the Davidson Wildcats. Here’s what to expect.

Let’s start with Richmond, the preseason favorites in the conference. The Spiders knocked off Kentucky in their second game of the season and it looked like Chris Mooney’s squad was off and running. But Kentucky has… well, they haven’t been great this year so it’s hard to gauge how tough Richmond actually is.

What we do know is that they’re 6-2 on the year, but coming off a head-scratching home loss against Hofstra just before Christmas. That said, they have wins against Vanderbilt and Loyola-Chicago on their resume, and they’re 2-1 in true road games so far.

If there’s one thing the Spiders bring to the table, it’s an offense. Richmond boasts all five starters averaging in double figures, led by Blake Francis and his 16 points per game. And he has plenty of help from his big men: Grant Golden is averaging 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds and Tyler Burton checks in with 12.1 and 8.3. Add in Jacob Gilyard (12.0 points-per-game) Nathan Cayo (11.5) and Davidson’s defense has plenty of weapons to prepare for.

Speaking of the Wildcats, they’re 5-3 on the season and 1-0 in A-10 play as they knocked off Rhode Island back on December 18th. Their schedule has some similarities to Richmond’s in that they have a win over Vanderbilt as well as a puzzling loss. The ‘L’ in question came to Charlotte, Davidson’s only home loss of the year. The ‘Cats are 3-1 in their building overall.

Bob McKillop’s offense is basically a three-headed monster led by star guard Kellan Grady. The senior is averaging an impressive 17.9 points per game heading into this one. Sophomore wing Hyunjung Lee isn’t far behind him at 17.5 per game, and Grady’s back-court mate Carter Collins is dropping 14.5 per contest. Luka Brajkovic, Davidson’s crafty forward, is always a threat to go off. He’s only averaging 8.3 points per game, but he leads the Wildcats in both rebounds and blocked shots.

Based on what we’ve seen so far this season, the A-10 looks to run through Saint Louis. But the rest of the field is wide open, and both Richmond and Davidson are contenders to get there. Heck, either of them could end up challenging the Billikens at the top. We’ll know a lot more about both of these squads after Wednesday.

Prediction: Davidson 75 – Richmond 71