Spiders will face Florida, Wake Forest, South Carolina in basketball

University of Richmond basketball coach Chris Mooney said he wanted his 2009-10 team challenged by a demanding schedule. The Spiders, with four starters back and Dan Geriot returning from a knee injury, will be.

They'll be playing what could be considered the toughest schedule in program history.

In games apart from its 16-game Atlantic 10 Conference obligation, UR will meet Florida, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Mississippi State and maybe Missouri in addition to Virginia Commonwealth and some other traditional opponents. The Spiders' A-10 schedule is expected to be released in mid-August.

Richmond went 20-16 last season, losing to UTEP in the semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational.

The Spiders return guards Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez, forwards Ryan Butler, Justin Harper and Kevin Smith, and bring back the 6-9 Geriot, UR's top scorer and rebounder two seasons ago. UR may be projected as one of the A-10's top three teams, with Xavier and Dayton.

"Certainly this is a schedule we are proud of and we're looking forward to playing," Mooney said. "We have some very, very good players who are both capable and excited about playing this kind of schedule."

In A-10 competition, UR will face George Washington, Charlotte and Saint Louis twice. Other league opponents, the Spiders will play once each.

"Those 16 games in the Atlantic 10 -- this is one of the best conferences in the country -- that's always going to be a great schedule right there," Mooney said. "So we think our non-league [schedule] complements it and will challenge us and also give us some opportunities to have some good wins."

Dates have yet to be finalized for a few non-league games.

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .