VCU Observations

[97spiderfan]

Someone gave me free tickets to the VCU game, wanted to post a couple observations.

Player-Team observations:

VCU's entire second team was better than anyone on our roster. We looked like a D3 squad playing an exhibition game against them. We have the worst roster in the A-10 and I don't think it is really even that close.

While our entire team played like a high school JV squad scrimmaging the varsity, there were a couple players who looked like they shouldn't be on a Division 1 team including:

Tanner: I've yet to see anything in his game that tells me he is an A-10 starter. He plays stiff, very unathletic, which is a problem because he is also not a great shooter/ball handler. He looked scared out there. 17 minutes, 0 points, 1 reb, 1 assist.

AP: Not as bad as Tanner but also a ton of just empty minutes. 25 minutes: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists. Unlike Tanner, he looks like a D 1 hoops player but you keep expecting him to do something really nice, yet he never does.

Beagle/Walz/Soulis: 40 minutes of game time out of the center position, 5 points total. Lots of time getting dunked on.

The only players that looked like they should be on the same court with VCU was Dusan, B Artis and Tyne. Of course, VCU's guard just simply shot right over Tyne and B Artis but they at least have some athletic abilities to break their press. They also gave us more of the D3 vibe going up against VCU much bigger guards.

GW3 looks like he can play basketball, he didn't do anything super impressive but he also didn't seem scared out there like some of our players did. Would like to see more of him.

As a team, we had no fight. VCU punched us in the mouth to start the game and we just stood there and let us punch us over and over and over again. By far the most humiliating, demoralizing game I've seen as Spider fan and I've been regularly attending games for more than 30 years.

 

[Eight Legger]

If that wasn't rock bottom, I don't want to see what is. But I'm afraid I'm going to see what is.

 

[MrTbone]

If that wasn't rock bottom, I don't want to see what is. But I'm afraid I'm going to see what is.

I doubt it, I think that was likely our toughest game remaining on schedule.

 

[PASpider]

Someone gave me free tickets to the VCU game, wanted to post a couple observations.

Player-Team observations:

VCU's entire second team was better than anyone on our roster. We looked like a D3 squad playing an exhibition game against them. We have the worst roster in the A-10 and I don't think it is really even that close.

While our entire team played like a high school JV squad scrimmaging the varsity, there were a couple players who looked like they shouldn't be on a Division 1 team including:

Tanner: I've yet to see anything in his game that tells me he is an A-10 starter. He plays stiff, very unathletic, which is a problem because he is also not a great shooter/ball handler. He looked scared out there. 17 minutes, 0 points, 1 reb, 1 assist.

AP: Not as bad as Tanner but also a ton of just empty minutes. 25 minutes: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists. Unlike Tanner, he looks like a D 1 hoops player but you keep expecting him to do something really nice, yet he never does.

Beagle/Walz/Soulis: 40 minutes of game time out of the center position, 5 points total. Lots of time getting dunked on.

The only players that looked like they should be on the same court with VCU was Dusan, B Artis and Tyne. Of course, VCU's guard just simply shot right over Tyne and B Artis but they at least have some athletic abilities to break their press. They also gave us more of the D3 vibe going up against VCU much bigger guards.

GW3 looks like he can play basketball, he didn't do anything super impressive but he also didn't seem scared out there like some of our players did. Would like to see more of him.

As a team, we had no fight. VCU punched us in the mouth to start the game and we just stood there and let us punch us over and over and over again. By far the most humiliating, demoralizing game I've seen as Spider fan and I've been regularly attending games for more than 30 years.

Don’t forget there are a couple players who had to redshirt because they weren’t going to beat out these guys for playing time.

 

[Eight Legger]

I doubt it, I think that was likely our toughest game remaining on schedule.

Right, but if we lose by 20 to Fordham, that would probably be even worse.

 

[GKiller]

Did Mooney get his lunch money stolen this much as a kid on the streets of Philadelphia? Must have. Think someone said he looked like a deer in headlights out there. On TV it did.

 

[Spiders4ever]

Someone gave me free tickets to the VCU game, wanted to post a couple observations.

Player-Team observations:

VCU's entire second team was better than anyone on our roster. We looked like a D3 squad playing an exhibition game against them. We have the worst roster in the A-10 and I don't think it is really even that close.

While our entire team played like a high school JV squad scrimmaging the varsity, there were a couple players who looked like they shouldn't be on a Division 1 team including:

Tanner: I've yet to see anything in his game that tells me he is an A-10 starter. He plays stiff, very unathletic, which is a problem because he is also not a great shooter/ball handler. He looked scared out there. 17 minutes, 0 points, 1 reb, 1 assist.

AP: Not as bad as Tanner but also a ton of just empty minutes. 25 minutes: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists. Unlike Tanner, he looks like a D 1 hoops player but you keep expecting him to do something really nice, yet he never does.

Beagle/Walz/Soulis: 40 minutes of game time out of the center position, 5 points total. Lots of time getting dunked on.

The only players that looked like they should be on the same court with VCU was Dusan, B Artis and Tyne. Of course, VCU's guard just simply shot right over Tyne and B Artis but they at least have some athletic abilities to break their press. They also gave us more of the D3 vibe going up against VCU much bigger guards.

GW3 looks like he can play basketball, he didn't do anything super impressive but he also didn't seem scared out there like some of our players did. Would like to see more of him.

As a team, we had no fight. VCU punched us in the mouth to start the game and we just stood there and let us punch us over and over and over again. By far the most humiliating, demoralizing game I've seen as Spider fan and I've been regularly attending games for more than 30 years.

Walz was out there trying to fire up the team before the game. I guess Mooney didn't like it, so he rode the pine for most of the game.

 

[spider23]

It is a mentality and culture. I was watching Nebraska play Oregon last night, and have watched them a few times recently. THey had a down spell this year, but last couple weeks boy I wouldn't want to play them. Every player is scrapping on defense and just making every possession hard for the other team. Attacking on offense and really capitalizing what the other team gives.
Will say when Mooney has the talent, the offensive system can work and we can play a little defense. When he doesn't have the talent, he cannot adapt or make more with less. Like JB could do seemingly whoever we had to role out there.

 

[Spiders4ever]

It is a mentality and culture. I was watching Nebraska play Oregon last night, and have watched them a few times recently. THey had a down spell this year, but last couple weeks boy I wouldn't want to play them. Every player is scrapping on defense and just making every possession hard for the other team. Attacking on offense and really capitalizing what the other team gives.
Will say when Mooney has the talent, the offensive system can work and we can play a little defense. When he doesn't have the talent, he cannot adapt or make more with less. Like JB could do seemingly whoever we had to role out there.

Nebraska coach is playing his son. Maybe Mooney should try his nephew. Like having a coach on the floor.

 

[SpiderGuy]

I doubt it, I think that was likely our toughest game remaining on schedule.

So when we play them at our house we can keep it around 20? Not sure home this year vs VCU makes a difference.

 

[GKiller]

So when we play them at our house we can keep it around 20? Not sure home this year vs VCU makes a difference.

Plus, there could be a lot of black & yellow. idk if we can keep out the Russell family they get comp tickets. but overall this is 1 thing we've seemed to do well recently at home vcu games. this year I can see a lot more vcu again & less interest from UR fans. might get an Extend Mooney chant.

 

[72Spider]

Did Mooney get his lunch money stolen this much as a kid on the streets of Philadelphia? Must have. Think someone said he looked like a deer in headlights out there. On TV it did.

He frequently does.

 

[urfan1]

I doubt it, I think that was likely our toughest game remaining on schedule.

I don't know, we still have vcu here (they smell blood), GMU home, (they have our number) and Dayton there.

 

[8legs1dream]

These are the Torvik projections the rest of the way, we have a 58% chance of beating Fordham and that is the only one the computers like us to win.

​

Wed 2-05	H	125 (Ⅳ)	Duquesne	+2.4, 64-62	39%
Sat 2-08	A	110 (Ⅱ)	Davidson	+11.6, 75-63	14%
Tue 2-11	H	147 (Ⅲ)	Loyola Chicago	+1.1, 66-65	45%
Sat 2-15	H	205 (Ⅳ)	Fordham	-2.0, 71-69	58%
Wed 2-19	A	203 (Ⅲ)	La Salle	+5.2, 71-66	29%
Sat 2-22	A	80 (Ⅱ)	Saint Joseph's	+15.2, 75-60	9%
Tue 2-25	H	38 (Ⅱ)	VCU	+10.7, 71-60	13%
Sat 3-01	A	81 (I)	Dayton	+15.2, 76-61	9%
Sat 3-08	H	60 (Ⅱ)	George Mason	+7.8, 64-57	18%

 

[ur2K]

It is a mentality and culture. I was watching Nebraska play Oregon last night, and have watched them a few times recently. THey had a down spell this year, but last couple weeks boy I wouldn't want to play them. Every player is scrapping on defense and just making every possession hard for the other team. Attacking on offense and really capitalizing what the other team gives.
Will say when Mooney has the talent, the offensive system can work and we can play a little defense. When he doesn't have the talent, he cannot adapt or make more with less. Like JB could do seemingly whoever we had to role out there.

Whoever called our style of play "delicate" a few years ago nailed it. Now its delicate and missing the tremendous fluidity we've seen in seasons where we've had success. Just a big old mess out there. Seems like its going to be a long time to get over the curse of the nets being cut down last season.

 

[spider23]

Seems like its going to be a long time to get over the curse of the nets being cut down last season.

I know a few of us on here were worried about the obvious relief and exuberation last year, when we still had one game to finish the job. And sure enough, WE WERE RIGHT AGAIN!! Just a huge exhale from moon, that permeated the entire team and staff. Followed up by regular season THUD, A10 tourney THUD, and whacked by Tech in NIT. And onto giving up a million points in our pre-season scrimmages. The beat goes on.

 

[SpiderTrap]

We all know the reasons we can compete with VCU, but if you forgot - let me list them out again.

1) Lower admissions - VCU is a dumber school that will allow anyone in while UR is a place of higher academic learning with higher standards. How can we compete when a good portion of their players would not gain entry to UR?
2) Larger Alumni base - They have close to 30K students annually, which crushes our student population and therefore alumni base overall. Sure - we might have rich donors and a $3 billion dollar endowment, but that means nothing when your competing with a state school such as VCU.
3) Game atmosphere - we can't match their atmosphere. They have more students, more local alumni, a band, etc. Our kids are worried about tests and when they graduate, they migrate to NYC or the northeast to work for large financial institutions. Why don't they show up for games up there - too busy working 80 hour weeks. But if we are good and make the finals - they will show up, otherwise, don't expect students to show up on campus and don't expect alumni to travel at all.

It just is not fair - VCU has all the advantages, and poor old Richmond can't keep up.

 

[urmite]

These are the Torvik projections the rest of the way, we have a 58% chance of beating Fordham and that is the only one the computers like us to win.

​

Wed 2-05	H	125 (Ⅳ)	Duquesne	+2.4, 64-62	39%
Sat 2-08	A	110 (Ⅱ)	Davidson	+11.6, 75-63	14%
Tue 2-11	H	147 (Ⅲ)	Loyola Chicago	+1.1, 66-65	45%
Sat 2-15	H	205 (Ⅳ)	Fordham	-2.0, 71-69	58%
Wed 2-19	A	203 (Ⅲ)	La Salle	+5.2, 71-66	29%
Sat 2-22	A	80 (Ⅱ)	Saint Joseph's	+15.2, 75-60	9%
Tue 2-25	H	38 (Ⅱ)	VCU	+10.7, 71-60	13%
Sat 3-01	A	81 (I)	Dayton	+15.2, 76-61	9%
Sat 3-08	H	60 (Ⅱ)	George Mason	+7.8, 64-57	18%

5 under 20% two at home…

 

[ur2K]

We all know the reasons we can compete with VCU, but if you forgot - let me list them out again.

1) Lower admissions - VCU is a dumber school that will allow anyone in while UR is a place of higher academic learning with higher standards. How can we compete when a good portion of their players would not gain entry to UR?
2) Larger Alumni base - They have close to 30K students annually, which crushes our student population and therefore alumni base overall. Sure - we might have rich donors and a $3 billion dollar endowment, but that means nothing when your competing with a state school such as VCU.
3) Game atmosphere - we can't match their atmosphere. They have more students, more local alumni, a band, etc. Our kids are worried about tests and when they graduate, they migrate to NYC or the northeast to work for large financial institutions. Why don't they show up for games up there - too busy working 80 hour weeks. But if we are good and make the finals - they will show up, otherwise, don't expect students to show up on campus and don't expect alumni to travel at all.

It just is not fair - VCU has all the advantages, and poor old Richmond can't keep up.

We have way more leaves.

 

[97spiderfan]

Don’t forget there are a couple players who had to redshirt because they weren’t going to beat out these guys for playing time.

Right, if Tanner and AP beat these guys out in pre-season so much so that the decision was made to redshirt them. Woo boy, we are in trouble.

 

[fan2011]

The only observation I made was the final score. Didn’t watch the game, seems like that was a good choice