How do you know what Francis came to do? Did you ask him that or is that simply a guess? Because everywhere he has played he has won. State champ in high school. Conference champ in NEC and had a huge impact on Richmond winning 24 games last year. I also just don't know why we cant hold Golden accountable on the defensive end in but point out the fact that Blake has regressed as a defender. Golden is a 1st team all conference player yet we are not allowed to point out the fact that he is bad on defense. Proving my point about nobody ever holding him accountable during his time at UR.
Hofstra Pride - 2PM Tuesday
- Thread starter SFspidur
- Start date
How do you know what Francis came to do? Did you ask him that or is that simply a guess? Because everywhere he has played he has won. State champ in high school. Conference champ in NEC and had a huge impact on Richmond winning 24 games last year. I also just don't know why we cant hold Golden accountable on the defensive end in but point out the fact that Blake has regressed as a defender. Golden is a 1st team all conference player yet we are not allowed to point out the fact that he is bad on defense. Proving my point about nobody ever holding him accountable during his time at UR.
Not true but its clear you don't like Francis, I'm just stating facts here. And I'm just trying to point out the fact that just because a guy is taller does not mean he is a better defender or player in some way.
I like all our guys myself, u r right tho does look like a select few on here don’t like him but to be fair u said there is not 1 thing Goose adds or does well. Ridiculous and that sounds like the exact thing u are accusing others of w Francis.
Goose is our best on ball defender. Gilyard is the best off ball with his anticipation. So yes Goose is better defender. Length helps but he has great instincts. If u don’t believe me ask the coaches. This has been said numerous times by staff. Perhaps u think Mooney is full of it & that’s a consideration I guess.
We need to have a big poster that just says HOFSTRA hung above every locker room door we’re in, for the rest of the year!
Last season Francis guarded the likes of Grant Riller and Aaron Nesmith (both drafted). Also kept Bones Hyland and Fatts Russell in check. So again I don't see how Gooses length makes him a good defender. If that was the case then why doesn't Mooney put Goose on the best player game in and game out? We can just agree to disagree on Gustavson being the best on ball defender, simply because I have never seen him shut anybody down. Like I have with Blake (hyland=3 points, Russel=3 points) these games are both well documented if you would like refresh your memory.
Welcome to the board 1 vs 1.
As you can guess, I like 5 vs 5 better.
I hope UR starts playing like they did at the end of last year, which is the reason they got preseason hype. What I have been seeing is not the team that turned the corner last year and is more of what Richmond fans have seen over the much longer term. I am still rootIng hard for the TEAM and hopefully Francis will be a part of the turnaround.
As you can guess, I like 5 vs 5 better.
I hope UR starts playing like they did at the end of last year, which is the reason they got preseason hype. What I have been seeing is not the team that turned the corner last year and is more of what Richmond fans have seen over the much longer term. I am still rootIng hard for the TEAM and hopefully Francis will be a part of the turnaround.
remember I never said Francis wasn’t a good defender but u said that about Goose. Francis is bulldog on D. Size hurts him nothing he can do about that but he plays D.
nesmith & hyland (game 1) both went off against us. But good players it happens. And actually Goose does get tough defensive assignments. He guarded all those guys u mentioned too. So not sure what u r watching. He’s been a defensive sub by Mooney when we go offense/defense often.
go check out their bios on Richmond site. Documented about Francis & Goose together shutting those guys down. Also about goose being top perimeter defender. That has come up in Mooney interviews too. I also watch many of the games.
again I’m giving credit to Blake there. But u give none to Goose which is strange. Blake plays more so he’s gonna get plenty of that time and d assignments. When goose comes in he does too. Personally I think his minutes r mismanaged by Mooney and should increase but I’m not advocating for 30 but at least 20 as top reserve. Obv sometimes they’ll play together.
Francis didn't play the first VCU game he was injured. And Nesmith is a REALLY good basketball player that's why he got drafted first round nobody on UR could guard him that night; I only say all that to say Francis always guards the other teams best player. I am also not a hater of Goose like some people are with Francis. I think he is ok off the bench but to say he should be starting does not make much sense. If he was that much of a difference maker he would start over Burton who is younger than him. Mooney is trying to win games, so the best players are going to play. Just my take.
They are missing a key component in Nick Sherod, therefore this is a COMPLETLY different team this season that is still learning how to play with a talented young player like Burton in the starting lineup. I just wish people on here focused more on positives instead of negatives. UR will be fine as a team.
My bad on vcu game. Personally I’m not saying start Goose but just more minutes. & would not all be at Francis expense either just some. Think we agree on much. We have more issues defensively at the 5 right now. & Blake does get asked to handle best perimeter players. But so does Goose. But I think u were hating just as much when u say “You cannot name one thing Gustavson adds or does well. He is literally just tall.” Hard to tell others not to hate when u write that. Now u may be walking it back which u should. I’ll move on now.
Go Spiders
That’s somewhat of an insult ‘fine team’. I don’t think many fine teams make the dance
completely different team? 4of 5 starters and virtually all of the subs. Plus another’s years experience.
Yes, watching other games I feel like our defense is more about just staying in front of your man, as opposed to making the other team uncomfortable. Gilly does via the steal. Francis is aggressive at times, but then we let the other guys have comfortable shots. Davidson is a weaker and less athletic team. Should be a good open to A10 play.
Agree, I was down on Gus for his 3 pt shooting before the season, but he has played well in many other aspects. Blake started a little slow, but is coming on now. Biggest issue is Mooney. And play Wilson more.
Lots of lamenting about losing Sherod because of his 3pt shooting, but zero mention about Jake Wojcik. I wish we hadn't shown Jake where the transfer door was. I thought that he was the perfect guy to come off the bench when we needed a zone buster. I wonder if he would have stayed if Sherod had gotten hurt prior to his departure... I bet Moonman wished he had Wojcik back now.
Insult?
Fine definition:
of high quality.
"this was a fine piece of filmmaking" ·
synonyms:
excellent · first-class · first-rate · great · exceptional · outstanding ·
Yes, completely different team. We were a great 3 point shooting team last year (45th), and had the 10th best 3 point shooter in the country. Not only was Nick 10th in percentage, but he made 78 of them last year. Add Wojcik's 18, and that is 96 3s we lost, over a 3 a game. This year, so far, we are 169th in the country in 3 pt percentage and 202nd in made 3s.
And, all you Blake haters out there, last year, Blake at 36% from 3 was 65th in the country and 3rd in the A-10 using the NCAA's 2.5 made per game minimum. So far this year, he is at 36%. Yes, we need him on the floor, and we need him shooting 3s.
The preseason polling for A10 and national rankings assumed we had all 5 starters returning.
Not having Sherod has and will have a profound effect on our offensive output.Sherod’s 3pt shooting ability pushed defenses out which opened up scoring options for the other 4 players including easy back door cuts.Our defense will need to significantly improve in order to contribute to the relative shortcomings on offense.Burton and Gustavason are very good players don’t get me wrong but neither are in the same shooting class as Sherod.Neither are consistent 3pt shooting threats.Our FT shooting to date is in a pandemic funk.We have to do better.We will need those 4-7 extra points per game to get a W.
You are correct ,we are not the same team that went 24-7. We are also not the same team because the team’s reliance on the raw emotion of a home court advantage wont be there this season.Those upcoming 9-A10 home games are all likely to be dogfights including, I would expect,Fordham.
Last edited:
The nice writeup in the Athletic, published well after Nick's injury, also said we had all 5 starters returning.
Next time your SO makes you dinner, you should go with "it was fine."
Goose does many things well and is the type of player a winning team needs. He's rangy on defense, smart with the ball, quick to the basket and not afraid to drive the lane, and has the height to finish when he does, which gives us a different look. I'd like to see him getting 20 minutes a game.
Francis has not looked as good as last year, but he still does a lot of things well, too. Hopefully conference play will help him get back to the level of play we saw last year. The main thing about his game that I would like to see change is the early shot clock threes when we have no potential rebounders anywhere near the rim. If you're taking those shots, you need to make them more often than not. Otherwise, wait.
Francis has not looked as good as last year, but he still does a lot of things well, too. Hopefully conference play will help him get back to the level of play we saw last year. The main thing about his game that I would like to see change is the early shot clock threes when we have no potential rebounders anywhere near the rim. If you're taking those shots, you need to make them more often than not. Otherwise, wait.
Francis is a really good basketball player on both sides of the court. I like the current rotation. Goose is a strong 6th man.
Highly doubt that for the A-10 polling...that didn’t come out until almost a month after his injury. Not going to look through all of them, but I bet many of the national ones came out after he was done too. Some early ones were certainly updated to account for it by dropping us a few spots.
With nonconference work done, Spiders (6-2) sense ample room for growth
richmond.com
”With Sherod last season, Richmond went 24-7 and averaged eight made 3-pointers while converting 36.2% from 3-point distance. This season, the Spiders (6-2) hit eight 3-pointers in two games, fewer in the other six, with a 3-point-shooting percentage of 33.3.”
“Neither starting guard, Blake Francis or Jacob Gilyard, has been a steady 3-point shooter. Forward Nathan Cayo occasionally has dominated and occasionally has been far less impactful, with foul issues limiting his minutes. Golden has more turnovers (28) than assists (26), a troublesome trend for a ball-distribution axis.
Last season, Golden had 100 assists and 56 turnovers.”
With nonconference work done, Spiders sense ample room for growth
Wearing a dark blue warm-up suit and a mask, Nick Sherod sat in a far-away corner of the University of Richmond’s expansive bench area Tuesday afternoon. Silver crutches leaned against
”With Sherod last season, Richmond went 24-7 and averaged eight made 3-pointers while converting 36.2% from 3-point distance. This season, the Spiders (6-2) hit eight 3-pointers in two games, fewer in the other six, with a 3-point-shooting percentage of 33.3.”
“Neither starting guard, Blake Francis or Jacob Gilyard, has been a steady 3-point shooter. Forward Nathan Cayo occasionally has dominated and occasionally has been far less impactful, with foul issues limiting his minutes. Golden has more turnovers (28) than assists (26), a troublesome trend for a ball-distribution axis.
Last season, Golden had 100 assists and 56 turnovers.”
I love Francis AND Goose. I love Francis' guts, his chip on his shoulder, his jumpshooting form. He doesn't back down from anything. I sometimes yell at the television at his shot selection, but I can live with it as part of the full package. I wish there would be a little less complaining about lack of foul calls, but that's a team-wide problem. We are better with Francis. Period. Anyone who thinks he doesn't have "fire in the belly" simply isn't watching.
I also love Goose. He's a great penetrator, finishes well at the rim, maybe our best perimeter on-ball defender, and a capable ball-handler. He needs more arc on his jumper. He's an absolute asset to the team.
We can play with both. At the same time. It's not binary.
I will repeat what I said on the other thread: we are 6-2, have a really fun team to watch, have a great offense, and these guys definitely want to win. Our defense needs work. So they'll work at it. And we will get to 18 wins at least. Book it.
I also love Goose. He's a great penetrator, finishes well at the rim, maybe our best perimeter on-ball defender, and a capable ball-handler. He needs more arc on his jumper. He's an absolute asset to the team.
We can play with both. At the same time. It's not binary.
I will repeat what I said on the other thread: we are 6-2, have a really fun team to watch, have a great offense, and these guys definitely want to win. Our defense needs work. So they'll work at it. And we will get to 18 wins at least. Book it.
8legs1dream
Graduate Assistant
the team of a lifetime managing 18 wins and that guy has his pom-poms out like it's some huge achievement. Geez, am I taking crazy pills? Seriously what the hell is going on around here
We don't even know if we will play all of our conference games. 18 wins might look real good going into the A-10 tourney.the team of a lifetime managing 18 wins and that guy has his pom-poms out like it's some huge achievement. Geez, am I taking crazy pills? Seriously what the hell is going on around here
Yea “the team of a lifetime” is a very special thing. Dayton had the “team of a lifetime” last year and they lived up to it. Thats why losing to Hofstra is disappointing because a “team of a life time” doesnt lose that game. Can we still have a great, special, once in twenty years season... of course, but a lose like that makes you wonder. Cheers to a magical run!!the team of a lifetime managing 18 wins and that guy has his pom-poms out like it's some huge achievement. Geez, am I taking crazy pills? Seriously what the hell is going on around here
this is the most absurd post I have ever read. Good day, sir!
When you insert Burton into the starting lineup it puts a strain on the bench. I don't know how long it will take for people to see that the subs just may not be that good. I appreciate the heart and effort they show but they just cannot get it done well enough to really rely on when it matters. Which is why losing a guy like Sherod hurts in the grand scheme. Not an insult to the team in any way. We have what we have at this point.
Some people assume because you are 6'4 you are a good defender which is simply not true; Goose plays hard and gives effort but he isn't a lockdown defender. Also do not see him as a shooter or a guy who can put the ball on the ground and score on his own. Not really me hating just more of me giving my opinion. Always go spiders.
Goose is a better defender than Blake and that's pretty clear. He does what Blake does on the ball but with more size AND he is better off the ball in a number of ways. Offensively they are very different players so tough to compare. But one thing is true - - - Blake has more moxy or swagger or whatever you want to call it than the rest of the group combined (although Gilyard has some too). Its not just confidence, its more. And We need that in the worst way. He's the first guy in awhile we have had that has it and there in no doubt that we are at our best when Blake plays well. It looks ugly when Blake struggles with his shot, but you don't get the swagger if you decide to stop shooting because you missed a few. Its a trade off we have to take. I do think Moon could help a bit by riding the hot hand/lineup a little more and that means maybe less Blake on nights he is struggling with his shot. But I will say this - - - 100% he's the guy we want trying to get us a big bucket at a crucial time, so its hard to argue against him on the floor for a lot of minutes. And I am a huge Gus guy! I still think he is underrated.
What games specifically can you point to and say you've seen Goose take an opposing teams player and stop them from doing what they want to do.? Because there are examples of Francis doing that.
I think our reserves are very good. We are talking mid major here. What kind of subs are we supposed to have? Guys who should all start? Good luck finding 8 or 9 guys who should all start, but are willing to just accept reserve roles.
Goose is solid, Crabtree looks like he will really help us, and Sal and Grace just keep getting better and better. And, of course, when you lose a starter to injury, it hurts your bench and depth, and hurts your whole team overall. That would be the case for any team in the country.
Why does it have to be one or the other? I think they are both very good defenders.
I think both Goose and Blake are very good defenders, and I agree with what you said about Blake. We need him on the floor.
Yes I agree we are talking mid major. But the people on this thread talk about Richmond like they are expected to win every game by double digits. When they lose it feels like the end of the world on here. I'm mean people are upset Richmond is winning games by single digits. Richmond is not Dayton of last year. And that is fine. However, they still have a really good team that should compete for a conference championship.
Similar threads
