Updated 3/15 with additional links, notes, etc.
We're in!
It’s good to see you again, #12 seed! It’s been too long! I like this team feeling slighted by the Committee. Get mad. And then get after it. Not pictured, but reading Dr. Sweats’ reaction to the seeding in the SpiderTV video…he seems pleased. Certainly more comfortable/confident than last year’s reaction to the St. Mary’s draw.
The dark jerseys are comfortable and will look good on TV. I’m not sure the school wouldn’t prefer to wear red anyway. Red or blue will look great against Vanderbilt’s white/black/gold combo.
There’s way too much to cover, so let’s just launch straight into a hodge-podge of links, thoughts, reactions, updates, travel notes, etc. In no particular order….
Secondary Break caught up with Dan Geriot and Kevin Anderson after the A10 championship, Dan here, and KA here. It’s worth the click-through just for the freeze on Geriot’s video. Break then broke down the Spiders’ defense during their title run.
Current coaching vacancies (yup, it’s that time of year!): Utah, Arkansas, Providence, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Northern Illinois, Loyola (Chicago), Wyoming, and NC State. Any more I’m missing?
On the other end of the A10 finals picture, Dayton. Blackburn Review can always be counted on for calm, rational reactions and analysis.
Vanderbilt last played on Saturday, an 11-point loss to Florida, meaning they get an extra day’s rest than the Spiders. Vandy also crosses one fewer time-zone than Richmond in traveling to Denver. Add in the altitude, minus Harper’s 29 minutes Sunday being his fewest in a game since February 5 against Fordham. FWIW.
The Tennessean says the Vandy bench needs to step up for the ‘Dores to advance.
I can’t even fathom how long this took. Dorktastic! (Well, apparently not that long since the pairings were just announced Sunday evening.)
Andy Katz hosted a coaches show on ESPNU yesterday and got 67 of the 68 tournament-bound coaches to call in. The one exception? Vandy’s Kevin Stallings. Hmmmmm. A montage is here.
VUCommodores.com has Stallings video, plus their take on the matchup and Vandy’s tourney history.
The trees are really big in the Northwest. No, but seriously.
So Sunday’s A10 final was essentially a play-in game. Had the Spiders lost and not made the dance, this blog may have ceased to exist. (Go on, get all your jokes out now.)
Dr. Spider and I will be watching UR in a tourney game together for the first time. A big step. One of us attended each of Richmond’s last two tourney appearances. Of course, neither of us will be in Denver this time. All good signs.
Richmond/Vanderbilt match-up, according to Ken Pomeroy’s Four Keys to Winning:
Effective FG%: UR 53.6%, Vandy 52.8%
Turnover %: UR 16.7%, Vandy 19.1%
Offensive Rebound %: UR 28.2%, Vandy 32.8%
Free-Throw Rate: UR 33.4%, Vandy 45%
The mix of starting Ced Lindsay on Saturday against Temple was a cagey move by Dr. Sweats. Lindsay also played pretty well on Sunday, showing some real flashes for next year and gaining some valuable experience. DWill, on the other hand, while always fun to see, looked fairly lost on the floor. Did he spike the ball out of bounds?
Seth Greenberg. Gets funnier every year. As does Jay Bilas (@jaybilas) on twitter, except weekly.
Has everyone noticed the new Starbucks logo on their cup by now? One flight attendant last week was very disoriented.
Dr. Spider and I took in Harry Potter on Broadway Friday night (yes, during the URI game, and I’d do it again). He’s playing the lead in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Hysterical! He held up fine singing, but his dancing, commitment, and especially his comedic timing were excellent. Check it out, the show was great.
Can the Spiders dance as well as Harry?
Good job Dr. Sweats, getting Kevin Hovde into the game Sunday. He deserves every second. Congrats Kevin!
While traveling, I got a taste of West Coast sports fandom: sitting in a hotel room drinking coffee on Thursday morning, the Big East tourney tipped off at 9 a.m. I could get used to that!
Token non-basketball (sorta) item: Lehigh Football Nation takes a look at some of the changes coming (or potentially coming) to the CAA Football. I don’t agree with all of his basketball analysis, or the direct impact of March Madness on the CAA Football, but it’s a thorough look and interesting read.
The fine people over at Yuku Dukes took on the undesirable task of trying to wrangle up the various miscreants that are the A10 bloggers, plus some other more reputable special guests (like the A10 board’s famous WH), and organized a post-season awards ballot. And the winners are…
The bracket breakdowns by region are coming in fast and furious. I think my dog even has one up. A quick sampling:
Ballin’ Is A Habit
ESPN (video)
Rush the Court
SI.com’s Seth Davis (video)
Eveyone else has already jumped all over this, but it still bears repeating: really Gene Smith, “style of play”?!?!?! Be embarrassed.
The Juice jumps out early and throws KA up as a name everyone will know soon.
A shared iPod Touch’s twitter stream is not the recommended way to follow a college basketball game. This just in.
Happy Hour on St. Patty’s Day? Yeah, should be simple to find a quiet spot to watch the game Thursday. At least UR isn’t drawn against Notre Dame. Or The Jimmer.
Hey, RichmondSpiders.com, “Boardwalk Empire” is easy, obvious, and hyperbolic. You’re better than that! When we win three in a row, then claim an empire. Not for one, not for a first.
It’s never too early to look ahead, apparently. ESPN breaks down what each team is losing this spring and gaining in the fall. The Spiders breakdown is here. Starting four seniors we know it won’t be pretty, but the freshman class sounds promising. The big, annual question remains: who’ll be at the end of the bench.
Gon-ZAG-a. The first “a” is as in “apple,” not “auto.” Seems relevant.
Great work on the final shot: