"14 in 14" Preview #5: Richmond Spiders

No one can understand the unique atmosphere and circumstances that face the players, coaches, and staff at the University of Richmond as the new season dawns.

There will be a hole that exists with the team no matter what, as they continue, both individually and collectively, continue to mourn, and get used to, the loss of associate head coach Ginny Doyle and director of basketball operations Natalie Lewis in a tragic hot air balloon accident near Doswell on May 9th. With this most difficult burden to bear, the team will hope to take solace and refuge by getting to work, and resolving to make this the most successful season Richmond can possibly have.

TEAM: Richmond Spiders
HEAD COACH: Michael Shaffer (10th season, William & Mary '94)
2013-14 RECORD: 14-16 (8-8 in A-10)
RETURNING STARTERS:
--Genevieve Okoro (6' redshirt senior forward): 11.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg
--Keri Soppe (5' 9" senior guard): 5.5 ppg, 86% FT percentage
--Olivia Healy (5' 11" sophomore guard): 12.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
--Janelle Hubbard (5' 8" sophomore guard): 11.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg

RVA Sports Network spoke with Coach Shaffer about this most difficult of offseasons and how the Spiders hope to respond.

1) How have you been able to find balance between the healing process and coaching responsibilites so that you can translate that balance to your players?

Shaffer: "I think the biggest thing, and I've urged our team to do this as well, is to dig deeper within ourselves. To really look inside yourself and start to deal with some emotions, deal with some feelings that I don't think people normally do, particularly in this generation, where we are culturally, and in society right now. Everything's instant, and on the surface. Our "friends" are on Facebook and not in real life, so I've urged them to allow themselves to dig, and to go deeper, and that's what I've done. What it's allowed me to do, is to be a little more compassionate, a little bit more understanding of the process as opposed to the end result. I focus more on the process and I've urged our team to do that. I think they're doing a really good job of that.

But there's days. There's days for me, there's days for the players, there's days for the staff. We're nowhere close to out of the woods, but it does feel really good to be together and be on the floor."

2) Let's talk about the players: how is Olivia returning from her injury, how is the team itself doing?

Shaffer: "I think the players are doing great. We've got five newcomers, and I think that's a positive. Now I don't know if it's a positive situation when it comes to winning games, but it's a positive thing in terms of healing, not that they weren't involved, they were recruited by Ginny and things like that, but they bring a new energy and a new life, and that's one-third of your team.

As for Liv, she's still in rehab mode. She's in practice, not in contact, but anticipate that she will be. Having her back will change our dynamics a little bit. We're different than we've been in the past. We're bigger, we have more strength, and we're actually faster, so we can put a few different combinations out there that I don't think people have seen from us in the past.

3) Does having these new abilites and traits make you have to change what you do as a coach philosophically based on what you have?

Shaffer: "What it does is, I like the way we play, I like the way we cut and move, and with the new rules and with freedom of movement being an emphasis, that's kind of where we've been. At the same time, as the season wears on, that freedom of movement kind of gets lost a little bit, and you'll need to have some strength and size, and bulk inside, so we recruited for that reason to get that. At the same time, if there's incidental contact, you still have to be able to play through it. These kids will be able to do that."


OUTLOOK: When Shaffer was asked what a "successful season" for his squad would be in the midst of all that has happened over the last six months, he quickly responded, "Winning The A-10". He also added he doesn't see a middle ground here, either they will win or, in his words, "fall on our face".

That may be tough for Spiders fans to read, but his sincerity, and his realistic look on the unique make-up of physical, psychological and emotional issues that will either help make or break the Spiders is refreshing. Many coaches would hide it away, put it in a box until the off-season.

On the court, a healthy Olivia Healy does wonders for Richmond. She was in the hunt for Atlantic 10 Rookie of The Year until she was lost to a knee injury in late January. When she does return, she'll need to make increasing shooting percentage, both from the field and the free throw line, a top priority.

Janelle Hubbard needs to have a better season after a stellar freshman campaign, and someone needs to step up to join Okoro down low so teams don't laser-focus on Genevieve.

Richmond-area fans will be rooting for two freshman to see playing, as Glen Allen grad Alicia Hudalla, a 6' 1" forward and Monacan grad Micaela Parson, a 5' 7" guard join the Spiders.

The Spiders don't want mediocrity. They want a special season, for people who were very special to them. If they strike the right balance between playing with emotion and playing with efficiency, it can certainly happen.