Looking into next season - men's basketball

[GKiller]

other than late May for a fall admittance, A10 level teams rarely recruit anyone with essentially no other offers.
Sal had offers. he was definitely a developmental recruit to me.

Yeah he was. Lot of our big men have been. I guess it depends on how you define it. I would call Grace developmental but all those guys VT4700 lists about...none were imo. because they were all ready to contribute right away. Did they develop their games and improve? sure. some may have been underrecruited too. but they weren't projects who had no chance to play year 1. otherwise u could call 90+% of all our players developmental.

btw Daryl Cowan may have been developmental. don't even remember him but I don't think he even made it to campus.

 

[SFspidur]

Cowan's bio doesn't mention UR, only a scholarship offer from Norfolk State, though their record book does not include him on their all-time roster. It looks like he prepped a year at Charis rather than heading to UR, but I don't remember the circumstances that led to it. He left NSU after a year to join the Army.

Coaching Staff – 4 QUARTERS BASKETBALL

4qbasketball.com

 

[MrTbone]

We had a discussion about how many scholarships to use where I advocated focusing on fewer more impact players. Others made a point about using all 15 scholarships because you never know who might turn out to be good and it’s a numbers game. I don’t see how getting a developmental recruit in the class of 2025 who’s only other offer is Idaho state coming in with 5 other freshmen players and will redshirt this year, will help us in the long run. The chances of that are very small. We could’ve used the scholarship money saved by having 14 scholarship players towards house settlement funds for one guy (that’s $90K). Graduating our 2 senior bigs does not concern me. I have no question we will be able to find a good proven big man in the portal next year looking to transfer up and can make an immediate impact.

Others seem to think we can get an impact player with the 15th scholarship. Reality is we’re going to get developmental players like this. So save that money of scholarship for 15th guy and NIL given to him and use that instead to recruit a higher caliber recruit who can make more of an immediate impact for our program.

You’ve forwarded this argument numerous times. Do you know how we are distributing funds? It may be presumptive that we’re offering this guy the same as other guys or anything at all.

Regardless of how we’re spending the money, there’s a foundational issue of what our readiness at the 5 will be after next season. Certainly there will be a big in the portal we can attract but it would be a sketchy succession plan.

 

[MrTbone]

never understood how Grant didn't get noticed by bigger schools. he was a very talented 6'10" kid.
Richmond was a perfect fit for him anyway ... including Mooney's system.

He was injured junior year I believe, on crutches.

 

[SFspidur]

Not much here, mostly just recapping the roster changes.

“That’s probably the biggest thing in most programs right now is making sure you return your guys to see if you can build something, and improve,” said Mooney.

“The guys we brought in, hopefully they can really add a lot, which we need,” said Mooney.

Spiders hoops roster is set. What does this team have, need following 10-22 season?

Coming off a 10-22 basketball season, the University of Richmond reconfigured its roster.

richmond.com

 

[97spiderfan]

Not much here, mostly just recapping the roster changes.

Spiders hoops roster is set. What does this team have, need following 10-22 season?

Coming off a 10-22 basketball season, the University of Richmond reconfigured its roster.

richmond.com

Mooney will never be misconstrued as MLK or Churchill that is for sure. I heard better oration at my son's middle school graduation.

 

[spider23]

“The guys we brought in, hopefully they can really add a lot, which we need,” said Mooney.

Sorry for yet one more SDSU comparison, but it is really one of a few college teams I follow (also being mid major) so can make the comp easily. I get coaches have different styles and hold different info closer. But everything Mooney says lacks substance, and additionally does not inspire confidence. At some point, a coach has to effing lead the effing way and set a tone through words, actions, results and everything.

Here is an article from a San Diego paper in which Dutcher goes into detail on each portal signee and what he is expecting they will add to the team. We get: "hopefully they can really add a lot" . Just gets harder and harder to get excited for a Richmond season. We have no idea if Jrob and McGlothin are developmental, or expected to be in big roles. No idea on whether Beagle is expected to take a big jump, other than a blurb from JOC not followed up with any substance. THE MOST INTERESTING/REASONABLE PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY.
Here is the comparison for info coming out of a top mid major program:

A Fab Four: Brian Dutcher helps break down SDSU’s newest basketball players

The coach talks about what SDSU liked in all 4 newcomers

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

We get uninspiring "hope"

 

[spiderman]

SDSU feels like they're on a whole different level, having been to the championship game.
can't be many schools with 32,000 undergrads that aren't in major conferences.

 

[spider23]

SDSU feels like they're on a whole different level, having been to the championship game.
can't be many schools with 32,000 undergrads that aren't in major conferences.

right, but look at what VCU does next door. I bet their coach is providing some good info and showing some positive energy and excitement.

 

[97spiderfan]

“The guys we brought in, hopefully they can really add a lot, which we need,” said Mooney.

Sorry for yet one more SDSU comparison, but it is really one of a few college teams I follow (also being mid major) so can make the comp easily. I get coaches have different styles and hold different info closer. But everything Mooney says lacks substance, and additionally does not inspire confidence. At some point, a coach has to effing lead the effing way and set a tone through words, actions, results and everything.

Here is an article from a San Diego paper in which Dutcher goes into detail on each portal signee and what he is expecting they will add to the team. We get: "hopefully they can really add a lot" . Just gets harder and harder to get excited for a Richmond season. We have no idea if Jrob and McGlothin are developmental, or expected to be in big roles. No idea on whether Beagle is expected to take a big jump, other than a blurb from JOC not followed up with any substance. THE MOST INTERESTING/REASONABLE PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY.
Here is the comparison for info coming out of a top mid major program:

A Fab Four: Brian Dutcher helps break down SDSU’s newest basketball players

The coach talks about what SDSU liked in all 4 newcomers

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

We get uninspiring "hope"

Mooney always does the bare minimum, media wise. His avoidance of the media, saying the bare minimum when he can't, and not setting any expectations is harmful to the program. I don't know why Hardt or PQ has not made him be more visible as the head coach of our MBB but they don't.

 

[Spiders4ever]

Mooney always does the bare minimum, media wise. His avoidance of the media, saying the bare minimum when he can't, and not setting any expectations is harmful to the program. I don't know why Hardt or PQ has not made him be more visible as the head coach of our MBB but they don't.

It would be the sensible thing to do.

 

[VT4700]

“The guys we brought in, hopefully they can really add a lot, which we need,” said Mooney.

Sorry for yet one more SDSU comparison, but it is really one of a few college teams I follow (also being mid major) so can make the comp easily. I get coaches have different styles and hold different info closer. But everything Mooney says lacks substance, and additionally does not inspire confidence. At some point, a coach has to effing lead the effing way and set a tone through words, actions, results and everything.

Here is an article from a San Diego paper in which Dutcher goes into detail on each portal signee and what he is expecting they will add to the team. We get: "hopefully they can really add a lot" . Just gets harder and harder to get excited for a Richmond season. We have no idea if Jrob and McGlothin are developmental, or expected to be in big roles. No idea on whether Beagle is expected to take a big jump, other than a blurb from JOC not followed up with any substance. THE MOST INTERESTING/REASONABLE PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY.
Here is the comparison for info coming out of a top mid major program:

A Fab Four: Brian Dutcher helps break down SDSU’s newest basketball players

The coach talks about what SDSU liked in all 4 newcomers

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

We get uninspiring "hope"

No way, an SDSU post? How rare.

 

[VT4700]

SDSU feels like they're on a whole different level, having been to the championship game.
can't be many schools with 32,000 undergrads that aren't in major conferences.

But, "we have so much in common with them and should be just like them."

 

[GKiller]

Not much here, mostly just recapping the roster changes.

Spiders hoops roster is set. What does this team have, need following 10-22 season?

Coming off a 10-22 basketball season, the University of Richmond reconfigured its roster.

richmond.com

Well JOC still has the close loss memo we pushed last season for TV broadcasters & via game notes. It's not a wild stat. 1st reason we have a higher qty of single digit losses is because we lost 22 games. I'll concede by percentage we're above the norm but only a couple games. I think something like 45% of all games for like 20 years are single digit margins. Everybody has those. Everybody.

 

[spider23]

Well JOC still has the close loss memo we pushed last season for TV broadcasters & via game notes. It's not a wild stat. 1st reason we have a higher qty of single digit losses is because we lost 22 games. I'll concede by percentage we're above the norm but only a couple games. I think something like 45% of all games for like 20 years are single digit margins. Everybody has those. Everybody.

We were right there, so close in those games.

 

[spiderman]

We were right there, so close in those games.

yeah, news flash ... most of our D1 wins were by single digits too.

 

[Eight Legger]

A Mooney team that can't close out games in the last 6 minutes?!?! I've never seen this movie before..

 

[97spiderfan]

Well JOC still has the close loss memo we pushed last season for TV broadcasters & via game notes. It's not a wild stat. 1st reason we have a higher qty of single digit losses is because we lost 22 games. I'll concede by percentage we're above the norm but only a couple games. I think something like 45% of all games for like 20 years are single digit margins. Everybody has those. Everybody.

Right. I bet the Wizards and Jazz were near the top of the NBA in close losses last year. The Giants and Titans were probably near the top in the NFL.

 

[VT4700]

yeah, news flash ... most of our D1 wins were by single digits too.

Yep. All but 1. We were 7-13 in single digit D1 games and 1-9 in D1 double digit games. Ugly! There is nothing close or unlucky about any of that.

 

[SFspidur]

It's hard to blow other teams out when you suck. Apologies to Ball State.

 

[PhillySpider]

To reference PhillySpiders post, I would add a 4th category which is developmental player that I define above. I think we’ve done well with #3 point in recruiting and somewhat with #2. I think we need more of #1 and #2 though to be consistently at the top of A10.

I agree with how we have done in Cats 1,2 and 3, Well with 3, ok with 2 but not good enough and not well on cat 1 for sure. I am fine with the description of a 4th cat, but we shouldn't be signing any cat 4 IMHO. Too remote a chance of hitting to waste any spots. Not going to hit on enough of these to justify the spots being occupied.

To be clear, I think the problem for awhile now has been in Cat 2! We survived because we did well in Cat 3, but not sustainable doing it that way in my view and that's started to show I think. And a hit now and then in Cat 1 would be great but just don't see it happening. We really need to win some recruiting battles against other teams in the 50-100 range which is where we really struggle. We are closers in recruiting battles. We are better at identifying lesser guys who might be impactful.

 

[SFspidur]

Sense of urgency this year. Everybody taking it seriously, more serious vibe, less joking and playing than there was last year. I should hope so. But it says something about what things were like last year and raises questions about why it happened. (Alternatively, it's just a cover explanation to avoid speaking to talent/ability issues.)

 

[97spiderfan]

Sense of urgency this year. Everybody taking it seriously, more serious vibe, less joking and playing than there was last year. I should hope so. But it says something about what things were like last year and raises questions about why it happened. (Alternatively, it's just a cover explanation to avoid speaking to talent/ability issues.)

View embedded media

Good interview. But yes, the "more serious vibe", less joking around than last year is not a great look for whatever the leadership that existed last year.

 

[spider23]

But, "we have so much in common with them and should be just like them."

Maybe more like St. Mary's then.

 

[spider23]

Good interview. But yes, the "more serious vibe", less joking around than last year is not a great look for whatever the leadership that existed last year.

UNEFFING BELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!

I said this last year, after we finally won a game - Mooney had an interview in which he stated that he was hard on the players that week in practice. I'm not advocating for Bob Knight type mentality, but OMG the messaging out of our sorry program is effing crazy town.

 

[spider23]

But I am glad we have more urgency this offseason.

 

[gcarter52]

Good interview. But yes, the "more serious vibe", less joking around than last year is not a great look for whatever the leadership that existed last year.

When I coached in high school, my players didn’t take practice seriously because they thought games could be won on game days I’m glad they are turning over a new mental approach. I am excited for 25-26 season to begin!

 

[GKiller]

Re: taking more serious I cut a break to someone like Tanner who doesn’t have a lot of experience with interviews & think he otherwise did a nice job. But also because that vibe comes from the top. Just listen to Mooney any day of the year. There’s a culture at Richmond but nobody would describe it as outworking your comp. Burton has said Nova practices were much tougher.

There has been a decrease in expectations imo from when we first joined A10 and it was a tougher league then. Different vibe back then there was a confidence we would improve upon Richmond bball legacy. When u constantly reward our 20 year results less urgency is natural imo.

 

[spider23]

There has been a decrease in expectations imo from when we first joined A10 and it was a tougher league then. Different vibe back then there was a confidence we would improve upon Richmond bball legacy. When u constantly reward our 20 year results less urgency is natural imo.

Yep, it is a totally different vibe and expectation from the top down. I don't give Moon a pass, because if he was super motivated, he would have walked in Hardt or whoever the AD at the time and made demands (academics being excuse that was commonly used 10 years ago, or whatever resources that were being skimped). Or he would have left and taken a job in a higher profile league - yest that was available to him in 2012 - but not since. But he liked the comfort.

 

[GKiller]

Btw can someone explain to me the tape over earlobes with guys like the rat tail ripper and Bryson?

I realize related to earrings. But does that mean the tape will be there all season & they r not taking out? It looks pretty stupid imo. I assumed players had to remove jewelry like that to play. Have not noticed the tape in the past.

 

[SpiderGuy]

But I am glad we have more urgency this offseason.

Urgency should be a standard & a given; not a realization that something has to be done differently.

 

[spiderman]

Btw can someone explain to me the tape over earlobes with guys like the rat tail ripper and Bryson?

I realize related to earrings. But does that mean the tape will be there all season & they r not taking out? It looks pretty stupid imo. I assumed players had to remove jewelry like that to play. Have not noticed the tape in the past.

I assume new earings. Can't take them out for 4-6 weeks ... according to google.

 

[spiderman]

I'd like to take the first crack at the 2025-26 motto for the cover of the Media Guide:

Richmond Hoops: No Joke ... This Year We're Serious

 

[72Spider]

I'd like to take the first crack at the 2025-26 motto for the cover of the Media Guide:

Richmond Hoops: No Joke ... This Year We're Serious

But sensible

 

[GKiller]

I assume new earings. Can't take them out for 4-6 weeks ... according to google.

nice sman. Google rarely disappoints. Probably some infection/med reason. But does that mean players abstain from any new earrings during season? maybe, tho with popularity a little hard to believe. I have never seen that tape over ear in a real game bc I thought jewelry was banned u can't wear that at all, unless rule changed.

Tanner nailed it. Already on that serious prep for the season. Winning in May by doing things u r not allowed to do. & forget safety. That little piece of tape will protect everyone!

 

[plydogg]

Mooney will never be misconstrued as MLK or Churchill that is for sure. I heard better oration at my son's middle school graduation.

No shot MLK or Churchill could run the Princeton offense though. Probably couldn’t even compete in it.