The No. 2 Auburn Tigers take on the Richmond Spiders in an early morning matchup, on December 8 at Neville Arena.
The Spiders limp into the game with a 4-4 record but are coming off a 13-point victory over the Ball State Cardinals on November 27.
Richmond is ranked as the 199th-best team in the country according to KenPom, having the 240th-ranked offense and the 147th-ranked defense.
The Spiders like to play at a slow pace, averaging only 66.2 possessions per 40 minutes ranking 276th in the country.
This slow pace is due to the overall poor team shooting, and lack of depth on the roster. The team is shooting 29.1 percent from behind the arc thus far on the season and 42.5 percent from the field, both of which place bottom 100 in the country.
Averaging 10.8 per game, the Spiders rank as one of the worst assist teams in the country aiding in the team's average of 71.1 points per game, 274th in the country.
Richmond is a top-heavy team in terms of player production. The Spiders only have five players averaging more than five points per game and only three into double figures.
While there might not be much depth on the roster, Delonnie Hunt can fill up the stat sheet quickly. On the season he is averaging 20 points, 4.4 rebounds on 50 percent shooting to lead the team.
Jonathan Beagle and Mikkel Tyne are the other two double-digit scorers for the team, averaging 10.3 and 10.0 respectively.
The only real bright spot for Richmond on offense is they do a good job in taking care of the basketball, only having 10.8 turnovers per game, which ranks top 50 in the country.
Richmond head coach Chris Mooney has been with the program for the last 18 years, bringing them Atlantic 10 Championships in 2011 and 2022, as well as three NCAA tournament appearances.
While this year might not be his best squad, Mooney is an accomplished head coach who will have his team prepared and ready to pull off the biggest upset of his career.
Only averaging 37.5 rebounds per game, 141st in the country, the Tigers have been one of the best teams in the country in most metrics, but rebounding could be where the Spiders look to find a mismatch. Boasting three players over 6’10, Richmond has the size to match up with the Tigers in the frontcourt, however, the Tigers are yet to be outrebounded in a game this season.
The game is slated to tip off at 11 a.m. CST at Neville Arena on the SEC Network.
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Luke McClure is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in sports production. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @lukemcclure0
