University of Richmond's preparation for the havoc that VCU will attempt to manufacture Friday night commenced six days before tipoff and 229 miles from the Siegel Center.
The Spiders took a 23-point lead at Wake Forest with 11:30 left. Demon Deacons coach Jeff Bzdelik called a timeout, and ordered a full-court press. In the next six minutes, UR committed six turnovers. Wake sliced the lead to eight.
The Spiders recovered and won 70-62. Cedrick Lindsay, Richmond's point guard, on Monday considered that second half, and said it might have been the best thing that could have happened to UR, which had dealt with minimal full-court defensive heat and was heading into VCU's trapping resistance.
"We learned a lot as a team. The bigs can really help by coming back to the ball. They can relieve the pressure, and then give it right back (to guards)," said Lindsay, who at Wake had four of UR's 12 turnovers, as well as seven assists and 15 points.
"I think VCU is going to watch that tape and think that they're going to be able to press us a lot, and the noise level at VCU is going to be a little bit different than it was at Wake."
Winston-Salem's Joel Coliseum was about half full — 7,813 mostly hushed spectators — for that Saturday afternoon game. All of the Siegel Center's 7,600 seats will be occupied Friday night for a city rivalry extravaganza that will be televised by ESPN2.
Lindsay, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, is a first-year starter who assumed the primary ballhandling role that belonged to Kevin Anderson the past four seasons. Kendall Anthony, a 5-8 freshman, averages 24 minutes and a team-leading 15.4 points off the bench.
"I didn't think I'd come in and make this much of an impact my freshman year," Anthony said. "I just felt I'd come in and contribute a little bit, help the team as much as I can. But it's turned out to be scoring a lot, and just winning games, so it's been great."
Though Richmond's press offense involves other players, the ability of Lindsay and Anthony to stand up to VCU's wilting pressure defense in what almost certainly will be the most hostile environment either has experienced could determine whether the Spiders (6-2) or Rams (5-3) prevail on Broad Street. VCU causes an average of 17.3 turnovers.
Lindsay brings what he learned from Anderson, whose quickness and decision-making helped UR limit turnovers to an average of 10.4 last season, when the Spiders went 29-8, won the Atlantic 10 Conference championship and advanced to the Sweet 16.
"He kind of just controlled the game, attacked when he needed to," Lindsay said. "When he needed to slow it down and (set up) offense, he knew exactly when to do it. That's just the balance of knowing when to attack and when to run the offense."
The Spiders through eight games have averaged 11.5 turnovers.
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