Saint Louis vs. Richmond: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

Two of the top teams in the Atlantic 10 will duel for the first time this season in the Saint Louis Billikens and Richmond Spiders.

TV schedule: Friday, January 29, 6:30 pm ET. ESPN2

Arena: Robins Center in Richmond, Virginia

Fresh off their first game in over a month, the Saint Louis Billikens will try to rebound from a disappointing mid-week loss, taking on the Atlantic 10 preseason favorites in the Richmond Spiders on Friday evening.

The Billikens (7-2) – who were forced to go on pause for over a month – played their first game since December 23rd on Tuesday, losing their first home game of the year to Dayton, 76-71.  The consensus favorite entering the A-10 season, the Billikens’ loss to Dayton was an unfortunate setback for the conference – especially given the Flyers have underachieved this year.

Despite the long layoff, the Billikens did not play horribly by any means – especially considering the types of performances seen from programs that have gone on shorter breaks, like Clemson and Michigan State.  Three Saint Louis players reached double-digits in Javonte Perkins (20 points), Hasahn French (16 points), and Jordan Goodwin (11 points) – with Goodwin recording a double-double with 11 boards, while Yuri Collins dished out 11 assists.

The Billikens uncharacteristically struggled in some areas – they collected a season-low two offensive rebounds and shot just 23.1% from long-range – their second-lowest mark this season.  Their poor 3PT% defense also plagued them, allowing the Flyers to shoot 44.4% (12-27) from beyond the arc.  Saint Louis obliterated Dayton inside, however, knocking down a blistering 60.5% (26-43) of their two-point shots.

Richmond (10-4), meanwhile, played five games between Saint Louis’ pause and return, going 3-2, which included stellar wins over Davidson and Rhode Island – but an absolutely bizarre home loss to La Salle.  Most recently, the Spiders are coming off a 79-56 triumph at Saint Joseph’s – their first win since January 9th.

The Spiders’ offense was extremely efficient against the Hawks, averaging 1.14 points per possession with a deadly clip of 57.9% (22-38) on two-pointers.  As a team, Richmond dished out 23 assists on 31 makes, headlined by Jacob Gilyard‘s seven assists.  There were not many negative marks in Richmond’s performance – but one glaring issue was their three-point defense, which is something that greatly plagued them in their loss to La Salle.  The Spiders allowed Saint Joseph’s to shoot 37.5% from outside –

The Spiders were led by four double-digit scorers, with Tyler Burton pouring in a career-high 25 points (7-7 2PT, 3-6 3PT, 2-3 FT) – and joining him were Blake Francis (18 points), Nathan Cayo (11 points), and Matt Grace, who registered his first-ever double-digit performance with 10 points off the bench.

Both these squads entered the A-10 season with national expectations – dark horse Final Four-caliber, or the potential to at least make a noise in the NCAA Tournament – but both have endured tumultuous stretches.  Richmond has suffered some losses that have assuredly killed their at-large hopes, courtesy of their defeats to Hofstra and La Salle – and, as mentioned, the Billikens went through a month-long absence from play.

Both teams share a number of similarities – including their blistering, top-30 national mark in 2P%.  But where these teams differ from one another is on the defensive end.  The Billikens are among the nation’s best in 3P% (39.5%, 12th), while the Spiders are average defensively in that regard (33.2%, 157th).  Contrarily, Richmond is slightly better in shooting from long range (34.9%, 111th), while Saint Louis is sub-200 at 34.6% (221st).

But the most significant mark – and what could be the difference in this game – is inside play.  The Spiders are among the nation’s worst in defending inside the arc, allowing teams to shoot 54.8% (307th) inside – which is good for second from last in the A-10.  The Billikens, meanwhile, are among the best in inside play, drilling 55.6% (26th) of their inside shots.

One of Richmond’s biggest woes this issue has been dealing with physical post play.  Prior to their game against Saint Joseph’s, the Spiders allowed 2P% marks of 59.4% (La Salle), 52.8% (George Mason), and 57.5% (Rhode Island).  The Billikens, meanwhile, are coming off a game where they shot 60.3% (26-43) on two-pointers against Dayton – and outscored the Flyers in points in the paint, 50-22.

That, alone, may ail the Spiders – especially if they cannot get it going from outside.  Richmond’s Francis has struggled this season from beyond the arc, but has still been able to produce.  Gilyard, meanwhile, has suffered an even worse slump in his senior campaign and is coming off a season-worst two-point performance where he took just four shots.

Both teams desperately need this win, especially if both Saint Louis and particularly Richmond hope to keep their postseason – and at-large bid – aspirations alive.  The Spiders have struggled to live up to their preseason expectations, while the Billikens need a convincing win after their month-long pause.  Without a doubt, the inside battle will be the deciding factor – and it may ultimately give Saint Louis the win.

Prediction: Saint Louis 77 – Richmond 70