2000-01 record: 22-7; 12-4 in Colonial (1st) Final Ranking: NR Postseason: Lost to Dayton 71-56 in second round of NIT. RETURNING LEADERS Points: Brown 10.1 ppg | Rebounds: Zwayer 4.0 rpg | Assists: Ungerer 4.4 apg | FG %: Zwayer 53.9% | 3pt %: Ungerer 37.2% | FT %: Zwayer 73.8% 00-01 Stats: Richmond | A-10

		Tuesday, Oct. 30 The single biggest key for Richmond will be inside play. The Spiders' guards are capable, but the A-10 is a big step up for the big guys. John Beilein is a terrific coach, but Richmond will have trouble with the traditional powers of the league, while competing favorably with middling teams of the A-10 West.

Outlook
The Spiders enter the Atlantic 10 without their top two scorers from last season's 22-7 team, but the outlook isn't exactly bleak for coach John Beilein's transition from the Colonial Athletic Association to the A-10.

Three starters return, and Virginia Tech transfer Tony Dobbins becomes eligible after sitting out last season. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 3.8 points as a Hokies freshman, and figures to multiply that this season -- by how many remains to be seen. The top returning scorer is another 6-4 guard, junior Reggie Brown, who averaged 10.1 points and 2.6 assists last season. The other returning starters are 6-11 senior center Tim Faulconer (4.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and 6-7 senior guard Scott Ungerer (6.4 ppg, team-leading 4.4 apg). Junior center Eric Zwayer, a 6-9, 240-pound banger, is back after averaging 7.7 points and four rebounds last season.

As for darkhorse candidates to step out of the shadows this season, remember the name Mike Skrocki. The 6-6, 225-pound sophomore forward averaged just 3.1 points last season, but Beilein has bigger things in mind for Skrocki this season.

A promising freshman class includes 6-7 Canadian Jermaine Bucknor (22.2 ppg as a high school senior), 6-1 North Carolinian Jason Morton (18.1 ppg) and 6-8 West Virginian Patrick O'Malley (20.8 ppg, 11.2 rpg).

What we like: There's a nice mix here of big, small and mid-sized players, with experience and depth. Dobbins and Brown could be ready to lead this team, and Ungerer is a mismatch problem for opposing defenses.

What we don't like: The Spiders will lean a lot on players who haven't yet proved themselves (Dobbins, Skrocki, a freshman or two). That's a frightening prospect for a team entering such a tough league.

The bottom line: Don't expect Richmond to challenge the A-10's big boys yet, but look for the Spiders to finish in the upper half of their division and be a dangerous team in the conference tournament.

Key Players Returning
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Reggie Brown	Jr.	G	6-4/185	PTS: 10.1 | REB: 1.6 | AST: 2.6
Scott Ungerer	Sr.	F	6-7/210	PTS: 6.4 | REB: 3.5 | AST: 4.4
Eric Zwayer	Jr.	C	6-9/240	PTS: 7.6 | REB: 4.0 | AST: 0.7

Key Losses
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Kinte Smith	G	6-5/180	PTS: 9.5 | REB: 4.9 | AST: 2.9
Greg Stevenson	F	6-6/220	PTS: 19.7 | REB: 7.7 | AST: 1.7
Rick Houston	F	6-4/190	PTS: 6.4 | REB: 1.9 | AST: 0.7

Richmond Signings
Player	Pos.	Ht.	High School/College
Jason Morton	G	6-1	Charlotte/Charlotte Christian
Patrick O'Malley	F	6-8	Charleston/George Washington (W.Va.)
Jermaine Bucknor	F	6-7	Ross Sheppard/Edmonton, Alberta, Canada