2020–21 Richmond Spiders men's basketball team

The 2020–21 Richmond Spiders men's basketball team represented the University of Richmond during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by 16th-year head coach Chris Mooney and played their home games at the Robins Center as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 14-9, 6-5 in A-10 play to finish in 8th place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the A-10 tournament to Duquesne. They received an invitation to the NIT where they defeated Toledo in the First Round before losing in the quarterfinals to Mississippi State.

2020–21 Richmond Spiders men's basketball
NIT, Quarterfinals
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
2020–21 record14–9 (6–5 A-10)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Rob Jones
  • Marcus Jenkins
  • Steve Thomas
Home arenaRobins Center
2020–21 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
St. Bonaventure†11–4 .73316–5  .762
VCU10–4 .71419–7  .731
Davidson7–4 .63613–9  .591
Saint Louis6–4 .60014–7  .667
UMass6–4 .6008–7  .533
George Mason8–6 .57113–9  .591
Dayton9–7 .56314–10  .583
Richmond6–5 .54514–9  .609
Duquesne7–7 .5009–9  .500
Rhode Island7–10 .41210–15  .400
George Washington3–5 .3755–12  .294
La Salle6–11 .3539–16  .360
Saint Joseph's3–9 .2505–15  .250
Fordham2–11 .1542–12  .143
† 2021 A10 Tournament winner

Previous season

The Spiders finished the 2019–20 season 24–7, 14–4 in A-10 play to finish in second place. Their season ended when the A-10 Tournament and all other postseason tournaments were canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Offseason

Departures
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Jake Wojcik11G6'4"190SophomoreSan Jose, CATransfer to Fairfield
Tomas Verbinskis21F6'7"210Redshirt SophomoreKlaipeda, LithuaniaTransfer to Lafayette in December 2019

In addition, guard Nick Sherod suffered a season-ending knee injury during preseason practice in October 2020.[1]

Incoming transfer

Guard Connor Crabtree transferred to Richmond from Tulane prior to the 2019–20 season and sat out due to NCAA transfer rules. He will become eligible to play for the Spiders in the 2020–21 season.[2]

2020 recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Isaiah Wilson
G		 Pittsburgh, PA First Love Academy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Sep 9, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 0
Andre Weir
F		 Hollywood, FL Chaminade-Madonna 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 265 lb (120 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 0
Dji Bailey
G		 Wilson, NC Greenfield School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) May 11, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 0
Quentin Southall
G		 Alexandria, VA Georgetown Prep (MD) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 0
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Rivals.com 2020 Richmond Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  • "Scout.com 2020 Richmond Commitments". Scout.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  • "ESPN 2020 Richmond Commitments". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.

    Weir left the program in December 2020 before he played in any games for the Spiders.[3]

    Preseason

    In a preseason poll of league head coaches and select media members, Richmond was chosen as the favorite to win the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2020–21, taking 19 out of 28 first-place votes. Jacob Gilyard was selected to both the preseason all-conference first team and the preseason all-defensive team, while Blake Francis and Grant Golden were both selected to the preseason all-conference second team.[4]

    Roster
    2020–21 Richmond Spiders men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    G 0 Jacob Gilyard 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)160 lb (73 kg) SrThe Barstow School Kansas City, Missouri
    G 1 Blake Francis 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)175 lb (79 kg) GSWestfield High School
    Wagner    		 Herndon, Virginia
    F 2 Souleymane Koureissi 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg) JrIona Prep Harlem, New York
    F 3 Tyler Burton 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)215 lb (98 kg) SoMarianapolis Prep Uxbridge, Massachusetts
    F 4 Nathan Cayo 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)225 lb (102 kg) SrCollège Jean-de-Brébeuf Montreal, Quebec
    G 5 Nick Sherod  6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)230 lb (104 kg) GSSt. Christopher's School Richmond, Virginia
    F 10 Sullivan Kulju (W) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg) SrEisenhower Middle/High School New Berlin, Wisconsin
    G 12 Gabe Arizin (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) SoSt. Joseph's Prep West Chester, Pennsylvania
    G 13 Connor Crabtree 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)190 lb (86 kg) RS SoHargrave Military Academy
    Tulane    		 Hillsborough, North Carolina
    F 15 Matt Grace 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)230 lb (104 kg) JrTRC Academy Hamilton, Ontario
    G 21 Isaiah Wilson 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)160 lb (73 kg) FrFirst Love Academy Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    G 22 Andre Gustavson 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg) JrHelsinki Basketball Academy Helsinki, Finland
    G 24 Dji Bailey 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)175 lb (79 kg) FrGreenfield School Wilson, North Carolina
    G 25 Quentin Southall (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) FrGeorgetown Prep Alexandria, Virginia
    G 31 Jordan Gaitley (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) GSFordham Preparatory School Haverford, Pennsylvania
    F 33 Grant Golden 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)255 lb (116 kg) GSSt. James School Winchester, Virginia
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster
    Last update: January 1, 2021

    Schedule and results

    The Spiders' opening game of the season against Detroit Mercy as part of the Bluegrass Showcase was canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Detroit Mercy program.[5] Two other non-conference games against Charleston and Furman were canceled due to a COVID-related pause by Richmond.[6][7]

    Richmond experienced two additional COVID-related pauses during the season, resulting in multiple changes to the Atlantic 10 portion of the schedule, while adjustments to the schedule for the 2021 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament resulted in additional changes to several teams' schedules over the final two weeks of the regular season.[8][9][10][11][12][13]

    Date
    time, TV    		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Regular season
    Nov 27, 2020*
    6:00 p.m.    		 vs. Morehead State
    Bluegrass Showcase    		 W 82–64  1–0
    		  23 – Cayo  12 – Burton  5 – Tied  Rupp Arena (261)
    Lexington, KY
    Nov 29, 2020*
    1:00 p.m., ESPN    		 at No. 10 Kentucky
    Bluegrass Showcase    		 W 76–64  2–0
    		  18 – Tied  7 – Golden  6 – Gilyard  Rupp Arena (3,075)
    Lexington, KY
    Dec 7, 2020*
    2:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 No. 19 Wofford W 77–72  3–0
    		  18 – Gilyard  7 – Burton  6 – Gilyard  Robins Center (0)
    Richmond, VA
    Dec 9, 2020*
    6:00 p.m., NBCS WA/ESPN+    		 No. 19 Northern Iowa W 78–68  4–0
    		  21 – Burton  13 – Burton  11 – Gilyard  Robins Center (0)
    Richmond, VA
    Dec 13, 2020*
    1:00 p.m., ESPN    		 No. 19 at No. 11 West Virginia L 71–87  4–1
    		  14 – Tied  10 – Burton  6 – Gilyard  WVU Coliseum (371)
    Morgantown, WV
    Dec 16, 2020*
    1:00 p.m., SEC Network    		 at Vanderbilt W 78–67  5–1
    		  21 – Francis  8 – Golden  5 – Gilyard  Memorial Gymnasium (0)
    Nashville, TN
    Dec 18, 2020*
    6:00 p.m., NBCS WA/ESPN+    		 vs. Loyola–Chicago W 75–73  6–1
    		  27 – Francis  9 – Burton  3 – Gilyard  Indiana Convention Center (0)
    Indianapolis, IN
    Dec 22, 2020*
    2:00 p.m., NBCS WA/ESPN+    		 Hofstra L 71–76  6–2
    		  15 – Tied  7 – Burton  6 – Gilyard  Robins Center 
    Richmond, VA
    Dec 30, 2020
    7:00 p.m., CBSSN    		 at Davidson W 80–74  7–2
    (1–0)    		  22 – Golden  11 – Burton  5 – Tied  John M. Belk Arena 
    Davidson, NC
    Jan 2, 2021
    5:00 p.m., CBSSN    		 St. Bonaventure L 66–69  7–3
    (1–1)    		  21 – Francis  10 – Cayo  6 – Golden  Robins Center 
    Richmond, VA
    Jan 6, 2021
    6:00 p.m., CBSSN    		 Rhode Island W 80–73  8–3
    (2–1)    		  22 – Gilyard  9 – Golden  5 – Golden  Robins Center 
    Richmond, VA
    Jan 9, 2021
    noon, CBSSN    		 at George Mason W 77–57  9–3
    (3–1)    		  18 – Golden  10 – Golden  5 – Gilyard  EagleBank Arena (250)
    Fairfax, VA
    Jan 23, 2021
    2:30 p.m., NBCSN    		 La Salle L 78–84  9–4
    (3–2)    		  22 – Golden  12 – Burton  4 – Tied  Robins Center 
    Richmond, VA
    Jan 26, 2021
    6:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 at Saint Joseph's W 79–56  10–4
    (4–2)    		  25 – Burton  7 – Golden  7 – Gilyard  Hagan Arena 
    Philadelphia, PA
    Feb 14, 2021*
    6:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 St. Mary's College (MD) W 90–49  11–4
    		  17 – Francis  7 – Golden  4 – Golden  Robins Center 
    Richmond, VA
    Feb 17, 2021
    7:00 p.m., CBSSN    		 at VCU
    Capital City Classic    		 L 56–68  11–5
    (4–3)    		  18 – Cayo  7 – Cayo  5 – Gilyard  Siegel Center (250)
    Richmond, VA
    Feb 20, 2021
    4:30 p.m., NBCSN    		 Duquesne W 79–72  12–5
    (5–3)    		  17 – Tied  8 – Tied  8 – Golden  Robins Center 
    Richmond, VA
    Feb 23, 2021
    6:00 p.m., NBCS WA+/ESPN+    		 Massachusetts W 79–65  13–5
    (6–3)    		  20 – Francis  9 – Gilyard  6 – Gilyard  Robins Center 
    Richmond, VA
    Feb 26, 2021
    7:00 p.m., ESPN2    		 at Saint Louis L 67–72  13–6
    (6–4)    		  24 – Francis  7 – Burton  5 – Golden  Chaifetz Arena 
    St. Louis, MO
    Mar 1, 2021
    6:00 p.m., NBCS WA/ESPN+    		 Saint Joseph's L 73–76  13–7
    (6–5)    		  25 – Cayo  8 – Tied  3 – Cayo  Robins Center 
    Richmond, VA
    A-10 Tournament
    Mar 4, 2021
    11:00 a.m., NBCSN    		 (8) (9) Duquesne
    Second Round    		 L 62–67  13–8
    		  18 – Burton  11 – Burton  4 – Gilyard  Siegel Center 
    Richmond, VA
    NIT
    Mar 17, 2021*
    7:00 p.m., ESPN2    		 (2) vs. (3) Toledo
    First Round – Saint Louis bracket    		 W 76–66  14–8
    		  18 – Tied  10 – Burton  5 – Gilyard  UNT Coliseum (731)
    Denton, TX
    Mar 25, 2021*
    6:00 p.m., ESPN2    		 (2) vs. (4) Mississippi State
    Quarterfinals – Saint Louis bracket    		 L 67–68  14–9
    		  22 – Gilyard  5 – Cayo  6 – Gilyard  UNT Coliseum 
    Denton, TX
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Eastern Time.

    Sources:[14][15][16]

    Rankings
    See also: 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
    Ranking movements
    Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
    — = Not ranked. RV = Received votes.
    Week
    PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
    APRV1919RVRVRV———————————Not released
    CoachesRVRV*192523RV—RVRV—————————

    *Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll

    References
    1. O'Connor, John (2020-10-21). "Nick Sherod on Spiders experience: 'everything I could have hoped for and more'". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
    2. O'Connor, John (2019-05-12). "Spiders hoops bringing in 6-6 transfer Connor Crabtree from Tulane". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
    3. O'Connor, John (2020-12-21). "Andre Weir, 6-10 freshman, chooses to leave Spiders program". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
    4. "Richmond Chosen to Win A-10 Men's Basketball; League Honors 23 Student-Athletes". atlantic10.com. Atlantic 10 Conference. 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
    5. "Spiders Season Opener vs Detroit Mercy Canceled". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    6. "Spiders Cancel Wednesday's Game at Charleston Due to COVID Testing Results". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    7. "Richmond's Game Saturday vs Furman Will Not Be Played". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    8. "Richmond Men's Basketball Pauses Team Activities Due to COVID Testing Results". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    9. "Saturday's Men's Basketball Game Against VCU Postponed". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    10. "Men's Basketball Game vs Saint Louis Postponed". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2021-01-29. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    11. "Men's Basketball Pauses Team Activities Due to COVID-19 Testing Results". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    12. "Men's Basketball Postpones Games Through February 12". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    13. "Atlantic 10 Announces Schedule Changes For Remainder of Men's Basketball Regular Season". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    14. "Men's Basketball Unveils Ambitious 2020-21 Schedule". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
    15. "Richmond Spiders 2020–21 Conference Men's Basketball Schedule" (PDF). atlantic10.com. Atlantic 10 Conference. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
    16. "University of Richmond Athletics – Men's Basketball Schedule". richmondspiders.com. University of Richmond Athletics. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
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