The No.1-seeded Richmond Spiders face the No.5-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils in the second round of the NIT tournament at Robins Center. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 22 and can be seen on ESPN U.
The Spiders come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping St. Francis (NY) 84-74 in the first round. Kendall Anthony played a pivotal role with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals. The Sun Devils, meanwhile, are coming off a 68-61 win against Connecticut in the first round. Shaquielle McKissic led the team in scoring by accounting for 21 points on 6-for-13 shooting.
The Spiders could put on a ball-control clinic in this one. They’re ranked 15th in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of only 15.8%). Additionally, Arizona State forces the 64th-fewest turnovers in the nation (32.2%).
The odds for Richmond and Arizona State are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Spiders come into this game 20-13 Straight Up (SU) and 14-15-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Richmond is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.36. Richmond’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation. The Spiders allow a .300 opponent three-point field goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the nation.
Over on the other bench, the Sun Devils have a record of 14-18-1 ATS and 18-15 SU. Arizona State has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. The Sun Devils get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking 48th in the nation with 492 made (15.4 per game).
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these two. Their previous game was a Spiders victory, bumping their SU record to 1-0 over Arizona State. With a 1-0 record, the Spiders also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – RICH, ATS Winner – RICH
Notes
Richmond is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games.
Richmond is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Richmond’s last 17 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Richmond’s last 9 games at home.
The Arizona State Sun Devils average 67.0 possessions per game and 1.036 points per possession. The Richmond Spiders earn fewer possessions with 62.5, but they score more points with 1.045.
Richmond has an average effective field goal percentage of 51.9%. Arizona State is an abysmal 3-10 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Richmond Spiders attempt 20.0 three point field goals per game and the Arizona State Sun Devils attempt 19.6. In games where they attempt at least 20 three pointers, Richmond has a solid record of 9-5, while Arizona State has a subpar record of 7-11.
Richmond records 7.1 steals per game. Arizona State is 7-5 when giving up at least 7 steals.
