CCT's 'Five Questions' Series: Kevin McGeehan, Assoc. Head Coach - Richmond
College Chalktalk: Tell us about your incoming
recruiting class and provide a brief rundown on skill
sets?
Kevin McGeehan:
Cedrick Lindsay, 6-foot guard, out of Gonzaga (DC). Ced is a very
good player, he is a shooter and a tough shot maker, he is also an
excellent defender. Ced is strong and physically ready to play
college basketball. I think he will have a chance to help us
take some of the pressure off Kevin (Anderson) and also they will
have a chance to play together.
Wayne Sparrow, 6-3 guard, St. Francis (MD). Wayne is a big-time shooter and very good athlete; he is long and lean. As Wayne adds some more strength he will really see the benefits in the things he is able to do on the court.
Derrick Williams, 6-6 forward, St. Anthony's (NJ). Derrick is a physical specimen, built like an NFL lineman, he moves well and really dribbles and passes well for his size. His physicality and rebounding will make an impact immediately for us.
Gonzaga, St. Francis and St. Anthony's are three of the best
programs in the country. All three freshman are accustomed to
being coached and winning. I believe all three will help the
program significantly now and for years to come.
CCT: Kevin Anderson was simply spectacular last season in
capturing the league's MVP award. What is the next step that he
takes this season in his progression?
KM: Kevin has
made his 3-point shooting percentage his focus. Last year he
was about 34 percent from long range and I think he knows if that
number is in the high 30s or low 40s he will be really hard to
guard. Kevin had a chance to compete in the Deron Williams
and Chris Paul camps this year and I am sure he has picked up some
subtle things from competing against those high level players that
he will add to his game.
CCT: Losing David Gonzalvez is obviously a major loss as
he and Kevin formed one of the best backcourts in the
country. Ryan Butler was also a key contributor for your
team... and vastly underrated. Where will Gonzo and Butler be
missed most?
KM: David and
Ryan are huge losses, they will be missed for their
leadership. Most people would look at the shooting and
offensive production as the things which we lose most with their
departures, however, I do not think you can overstate what those
two meant for our defense. David and Ryan were our two best
perimeter defenders and especially early on we will have plenty to
learn as we try and fill those voids.
It is nice to have an experienced player in Kevin Smith, who not
only has played in and started a lot of games for us but also
possesses many of the leadership qualities which we will
need. Darien Brothers, Greg Robbins, Francis Martel,
along with the freshmen guards all have a chance to help us this
year. There is competition for both David and Ryan's
spots.
CCT: What returning player do you most expect to have an
impact this season and why?
I think there are some natural holes due to graduation that will
give some guys opportunities that they haven't had in the
past. Francis Martel showed some real flashes of greatness at
the end of last year and with Butler's graduation there will be
some increased opportunity for him. I could see Darien
Brothers helping fill the void left by Gonzo. Greg Robbins
and Kevin Smith are both versatile and can play both David and
Ryan's spots which makes them that much more valuable.
With that being said, I could see Justin Harper taking another
big leap this year. He had a very nice junior year and I
think has the potential to pick up some of the scoring slack this
season. He has unlimited potential and I think can be a very
tough matchup in the A-10. His size and shooting ability make
him a guy who could make a huge impact for us this year.
CCT: What do you expect from Dan Geriot this season?
Post-injury, last year was difficult for him and his production
slipped. Is he looking to trim down this year, or do you
expect him to be around the same weight come the fall?
KM: Dan has had a
tremendous summer, he battled shoulder problems all last season
after coming off of the ACL the year before. He is incredibly
committed to his conditioning and is trim and fit. He looks
as good as I can ever remember him. I expect him to be really
good for us this year.
*** Bonus *** Finally, with Jordan Crawford off to the
NBA, which player in the league could you most see challenging KA
for the MVP award?
KM: I think Lavoy
Allen, Chris Wright, Tu Holloway and Kwamain Mitchell stand out to
me as guys who have a chance to have MVP caliber seasons.
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