Nice, good work Buck. Always good to get more representation in pro ranks whether playing coaching admin referee cheerleader
Davidson Game #2 thread - 6pm Sat -ESPN+ (Alumni invited back)
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Nice, good work Buck. Always good to get more representation in pro ranks whether playing coaching admin referee cheerleader
+1
9 post season appearances in 12 years without any of the current resources and no prior established tradition other than losing!
In case some have forgotten he put Richmond BB on the map!
Statistics overview
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richmond Spiders (ECAC South / Colonial Athletic Association) (1981–1993) | |||||
| 1981–82 | Richmond | 18–11 | 6–4 | 2nd | NIT first round |
| 1982–83 | Richmond | 12–16 | 2–7 | 6th | |
| 1983–84 | Richmond | 22–10 | 7–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I second round |
| 1984–85 | Richmond | 21–11 | 11–3 | T–1st | NIT second round |
| 1985–86 | Richmond | 23–7 | 12–2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I first round |
| 1986–87 | Richmond | 15–14 | 8–6 | 3rd | |
| 1987–88 | Richmond | 26–7 | 11–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 |
| 1988–89 | Richmond | 21–10 | 13–1 | 1st | NIT second round |
| 1989–90 | Richmond | 22–10 | 10–4 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I first round |
| 1990–91 | Richmond | 22–10 | 10–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I second round |
| 1991–92 | Richmond | 22–8 | 12–2 | T–1st | NIT first round |
| 1992–93 | Richmond | 15–12 | 10–4 | 3rd | |
| Richmond: | 239–126 (.655) | 112–43 (.723) | |||
| Total: | 239–126 (.655) |
I responded to someone's post who said Tarrant was a great coach and a great guy, by saying he was a great coach, but disagreed with the good guy part of the statement. He was a very difficult coach to play for.
A few month ago I also made the comment that Tarrant was a great coach, but also stated that our conference back then was terrible and small. At one point I believe it only had 6 teams. We were typically only competing with one or 2 teams to win the conference, which made it much easier to make it to the NCAAs.
If you took todays team and put the back in the ECAC, they would have lost very few games.
A few month ago I also made the comment that Tarrant was a great coach, but also stated that our conference back then was terrible and small. At one point I believe it only had 6 teams. We were typically only competing with one or 2 teams to win the conference, which made it much easier to make it to the NCAAs.
If you took todays team and put the back in the ECAC, they would have lost very few games.
In addition to winning a ton of games, Tarrant won big games. Mooney has a great opportunity to start building up his winning percentage and big game resume. He started coaching d1 at a much earlier age, so he is still learning.
No need to try to crap on Tarrant because a few posters said he looked great for 95 years old.
No need to try to crap on Tarrant because a few posters said he looked great for 95 years old.
So Tarrant only won titles because our league was small and terrible, he was a complete asshole who was hated by all his players, and he deserves little to no ongoing recognition from our school. Did I miss anything, 80sFan?
At 95 and not using any walking aid, that is impressive. The man came from a no nonsense
era and only knew one way to coach and be successful. If Mooney continues at UR for many more
years just name half court Mooney Court and other half Tarrant Court.
era and only knew one way to coach and be successful. If Mooney continues at UR for many more
years just name half court Mooney Court and other half Tarrant Court.
Tarrant put UR basketball on the map. Enough said. He was a great coach.
What I was surprised to find out was that not only did we play Auburn, Indiana and Syracuse because our conference was small and terrible, but that we beat them because our conference was small and terrible.
Mooney has had 6 seasons with higher SRS than Tarrant's best season. Can't argue with SRS.
I'd name 55% of the court for Mooney, personally.
Agree. And the A10 is definitely larger but stronger? And here we’ve been talking for several weeks about the A10 being a one bid league.
Did anyone else catch that Skrocki kept referring to Ole Jer as "our coach" rather than by name in his stories about that Kansas game? I couldn't quite grasp the tone of it, but all indications are pretty consistent with stories I've heard over the years.
Quick question since it was tough to tell on the broadcast - who from the 2004 team was there on Saturday?
Quick question since it was tough to tell on the broadcast - who from the 2004 team was there on Saturday?
I thought we were not going to name after people any longer, hand a banner instead. Or name the practice facility after him.
Heard the same. Maybe just because he likely wasn't invited and didn't want to ruffle any feathers. I have spoked to players like Skrocki, Steenberge (who was also there) and some others that played for Ole'Jer - couldn't really find anyone that didn't like him. He seemed to be a very much "players coach".
Glad to hear Steenberge was there. He had such a great junior year - albeit on a dysfunctional team in ole Jer’s last year - but then his game suffered playing an unaccustomed role - and with zero PGs on roster - under Moon his senior year (Moon’s first.) Always hoped that he and Bucknor didn’t begrudge the program for that disappointment.
Tell me your a Mooney shill without telling me your a Mooney shill. 5 NCAA and 4 NIT in a 9 year span is the definition of greatness. Also, your ability to recruit talent is generally at the level of your league competition, so Tarrant out recruited and then out coached his peer schools, he was playing against. Finally, different eras. Tarrant won at the highest level for almost the entirety of his coaching career here.
Can't say I ever heard guys like that begrudge the program. I think some of them were upset that JW left, but I think those players understood the circumstances. Plus - I think that is the year AD Vassallo got denied admission. That would have been a pretty good team and I am sure JW would have had a PG in the mix. But the trio of AD, Bucknor, and Steenberge would have been pretty good. I think AD made all ACC rookie team or maybe honorable mention, so I got a feeling he would have been close to that as well in the A10.
I can't remember the timing. did Courtney Nelson and Andres Sandoval leave at the same time? was that after JW left? and when did the Daon Merritt stuff happen?
They played together in 2004, they all probably left school in during the summer of 2005.
Daon Merritt, a rising junior guard for the Richmond Spiders basketball team, left the team during a chaotic summer. His departure occurred after an incident that led to his arrest on charges of assault and batteryfollowing an on-campus incident in April 2005. As a result, he transferred to the University of South Alabama1. Merritt was one of Richmond’s highly-touted high school recruits and had been the team’s second-leading scorer in the previous season.
Additionally, two other players, Courtney Nelson and Andres Sandoval, also left the team during this period. Nelson, a rising sophomore guard, decided to transfer to Rutgers University in his home state of New Jersey. His decision was influenced by his close relationship with former head coach Jerry Wainwright and assistant coach Gary DeCesare, who had moved to DePaul University. Nelson’s departure was unrelated to current head coach Chris Mooney1.
As for Andres Sandoval, who started 19 games in the previous season, his future basketball status remained undecided at the time. All three players were required to sit out the following year due to NCAA rules1.
The departure of these players left the guard position open for other team members as they entered fall workouts. The team looked to rising sophomores Oumar Sylla and Monty Sanders, rising juniors Pete Thomasand T.J. Paterick, and incoming freshman Ryan Butler to fill the void in the backcourt1.
In the same tumultuous offseason, the team faced further challenges when its top two recruits were denied admission to Richmond. A.D. Vassallo, the highly anticipated recruit, did not meet the university’s admission standards and subsequently committed to Virginia Tech. Despite having a strong GPA, Vassallo’s SAT scores fell short of Richmond’s requirements. His journey took him from Puerto Rico to Hargrave Military Academy in southwest Virginia before his commitment to Virginia Tech1.
All of that was at end of that last Ole Jer season.
Merritt ran into trouble, Sandoval went Juco/Dayton, Nelson I don’t recall where he transferred to. Vassallo not admitted to school and Jose Garcia didn’t come/wasn’t part of plans, so Ryan Butler was the only freshman the next year and ended up with a medical redshirt.
Merritt ran into trouble, Sandoval went Juco/Dayton, Nelson I don’t recall where he transferred to. Vassallo not admitted to school and Jose Garcia didn’t come/wasn’t part of plans, so Ryan Butler was the only freshman the next year and ended up with a medical redshirt.
Mac Pitt also taught the college students class at First Baptist Church, Richmond, during my years as a Spider. He was an extremely kind and knowledgable man who made each of us in that class feel welcome and thankful we had the opportunity to learn from him. He had a very deep love for the University of Richmond.
We had some great guys as coaches/PE teachers back in that early 1970s era. Fred Hardy, Dick Humbert, Jordan, McNeil, Norris Eastman, Chuck Boone ... I remember Dr. Jordan, whose daughter dated one of my dorm friends, always called us Pi Kapper Alpher.
I have been told they don't play Hardyball in UR intramurals anymore. Wow, that was the most fun game I've ever played. Wonder if they still use a Chicago-style 16-inch softball in intramurals? That was like throwing a shotput.
There was a lawsuit between Wainwright and the university after he left, so I'm not shocked that he's not being invited back for things.
Would think most of the parties that were involved in that are no longer here. But yeah, I could see how that would leave lasting bad blood or just a desire to leave things be.
Also, I will never forgive Wainwright for sitting Dobbins on the bench for most of the second half when he had a shoe issue. We should have won that game and sitting the conference defensive POY was a big reason why we ended up losing.
agree especially since Wainwright consistently had a suit issue ..
As I have said many times before Tarrant was a great coach in a week league. I currently think Mooney is also a great coach over the past 5 years in one of the top leagues in the country. Both coaches are great and I do not think if Tarrant was still young and the current coach the past 5 years we would have had a better record.
Mooney is extremely well like by his players and has done a great job of keeping most of his top talent. I am very happy he will be around a long time coaching the Spiders.
There was a lawsuit involving JB and the University when he left - but UR invited him back recently. So not sure that is a good enough reason.
So you are making a point that I have broached in the past. If it's going to be about NCAA appearances, Richmond has a better opportunity to win in a lower level league. Look, the whole argument for joining the A10 is because they were not a one bid league and we have an opportunity for an at large bid. That's happened once in Mooneys 20 years. So, if we have to win a conference championship for a bid, why wouldn't we get in a league where we can have a greater change to win it?
Let's face it, the A10 is turning into a one bid league anyway.
Are u sure it was Steenberge? Think he's a guy easy to recognize, but Skrocki in that same interview indicated Steenberge was overseas and unavailable to come. He did mention Gaston Moliva was there.
No Hardyball? whaaaat. Incredible game. these kids don't know what they r missing. can't say I'm surprised tho. hell UR might have canned it themselves. Probably replaced by disc golf. Which isn't bad but it's still frisbee.
But u said he wasn't a good person. If u originally went with "he was a very difficult coach to play for" that would have been acceptable. But u can be a good person and tough to play for. Spider fan wasn't giving his personal experience as a player for Coach Tarrant anyway. It was off court. Yes, players found him tough but I think most who finished respected him. maybe not liked but definitely respected. Guy from the Sports Junkies in DC, very well known longtime radio show would call him Dick Tyrant on radio. But who cares he lasted 1 year at Richmond.
U call out negative on board but I've found u r very quick to denigrate when it suits u. remember Joe Bamisile. many of us didn't support his eligibility from simply transferring so much but u went after his intelligence saying couldn't be admitted to UR. and now the legendary Coach Tarrant, where u will find much less support for the tactic.
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Beilein was inducted into the HOF in 2022. So they must be cool.
because the A10 is usually a multi bid league.
and because we attract better players here than we would in the CAA or Big South.
and because we play better basketball teams in conference ... which is fun for both players and fans.
Why do u cherry pick and reference a 5 year period of Mooney being great? Can’t u address his body of work at UR and comment on his long term winning pct, limited NCAA appearances, and major failure vs VCU for his career?
Also, the A10 is far from a great league and a top league. Good league - yes. Great league - no. If it was a great league and top league, we’d be almost be a lock for an at large bid. Things would be relatively easier for bids.
I’m sorry but this whole comment is just plain stupid. Mooney couldn’t wear Tarrant’s jock strap let alone out coach him
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