NCAA Tourney Pick: St Mary’s vs Richmond
by Nick Meyer
The 7-10 matchups are always among the most entertaining games in the NCAA Tournament, and this year should be no different for both college basketball fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike.
The Richmond Spiders and St. Mary's Gaels should continue that tradition on Thursday as the two teams from opposite sides of the country will get together for what could be one of the closest, most hard-fought games of the entire tournament and a potential instant classic game.
Richmond is coming off of a tough Atlantic 10 title game loss against the Temple Owls while the Gaels are on cloud nine are winning against their nemesis Gonzaga in the West Coast final.
The winner of this game could come down to little things like who gets in foul trouble and which team hustles the most, but that's what makes it so exciting for both bettors and fans going into round one of the NCAA Tournament.
South Region NCAA Tournament Game
7. Richmond Spiders (26-8 SU, 18-11-1 ATS) vs. 10. St. Mary's Gaels (26-5 SU, 20-10 ATS)
2:50 p.m. ET, Providence, RI, CBS TV
: Richmond favored at -2.
The Gaels have their work cut out for them against a swarming, long-limbed Richmond team that resembles their namesake, especially on defense.
Richmond managed to go 13-3 in a tough Atlantic 10 conference because of their athleticism and defense as they give up just 62 points a game, one of the best marks in the country.
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Defense wins championships in all sports but the best NCAA Tournament teams in recent years have won on the strength of their impressive offensses in many cases.
Still, Richmond isn't competing for a title; at this point, they're just looking to make a nice run.
Guards Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalez lead the way for the Spiders, who are adept at taking the ball to the basket and making plays.
That could play into the hands of the Gaels at times however as they are led by star center Omar Samhan, who led the team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks and finished second in the WCC Player of the Year voting to Matt Bouldin of Gonzaga.
If Samhan can clean the glass and keep the active Spiders off the boards while also blocking and/or altering shots, it will lead to fast break opportunities for a Gaels team that excels in the open court.
At the same time, Samhan has to play smart and avoid foul trouble or it could be a long day for the Gaels in round one of the NCAA Tournament.
St. Mary's is a dead-eye three-point shooting team as well, but the looks will be harder to come by against the Spiders.
But the Gaels are a more balanced offensive team than people realize as they boast five guys who score in double figures, and the Spiders' defense will have its hands full with the kind of balance it hasn't seen for much of the year.
St. Mary's averaged almost 80 ppg during the regular season and they've had a lot of time to rest after a long season after wrapping up the WCC title early last year, and those fresh legs will prove to be a boon against a tough Richmond team in what should be a mild upset for the Gaels in Rhode Island.
