Can the Richmond Spiders Take a Step Forward? A 2026-27 Offseason Review
After a rough second half in 2026, the Richmond Spiders retained some strong freshman and filled in their largest areas of concern. Can they return to the NCAA Tournament?
The Richmond Spiders started off fantastic last season, jumping out to a 9-1 start and 13-5 through their first 18 games. It all came falling apart in the back half of the season as they finished just 2-11 over their final 13 games. It marked a trend of some up-and-down seasons as of late as their last seven seasons have ended with the following records: 24-7, 14-9, 24-13, 15-18, 23-10, 10-22, 15-17.
Essentially, the Spiders are winning 20+ games nearly every other season…and if the pattern continues it looks like this could be another. They did reach the NCAA Tournament with the 24-13 record in the 2021-2022 season where they finished just 10-8 in conference, but went on a run to win the Atlantic-10 conference tournament.
Chris Mooney is entering year 22 at the helm with Richmond and he’s looking to reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time during that stretch in an ultra-competitive conference. With several notable departures, he was able to retain a key freshman and another rotational player to provide depth while bringing in some talented players through the transfer portal. Let’s take a look at how the team is shaping up!
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Roster Turnover
Will Johnston (Ineligible)
9.7 points, 3 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Apostolos Roumoglou (Ineligible)
2.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Jonathan Beagle (Ineligible)
6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Mike Walz (Graduate Senior) ~ TBD
7.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 rebounds
A.J. Lopez (Graduate Senior) ~ TBD
13.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1 steal
Jaylen Robinson (Sophomore) ~ Sacred Heart
2.7 points, 1.5 rebounds
Jaden Daughtry (Senior) ~ Stony Brook
8.9 points, 3 rebounds
Bryson McGlothin (Sophomore) ~ UT Arlington
1.3 points, 1 rebounds (3 games / 4.3 minutes)
Mikkel Tyne (Senior) ~ Buffalo
6.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists
David Thomas (Senior) ~ Georgia State
4.2 points, 1.1 rebounds
As one of the more senior heavy teams at 52nd in Division I experience, the Spiders were destined for significant turnover in the coming season. Three of their players ran out of eligibility with another two attempting to gain a year back with no luck thus far.
Among the rest of the turnover, five transferred out of the program with all of them taking a step back and dropping to lower conferences. Jaden Daughtry is the steepest loss as he emerged as a threat at Indiana State two years ago. He averaged 8.9 points with three rebounds in just 15.8 minutes per game, but he’ll be heading to Stony Brook as he’ll look to slide into the rotation for his largest opportunity to date in his career.
Returning Players
Collin Tanner (Senior)
5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds
Aiden Argabright (Sophomore)
10.8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.2 steals
Will Harper III (Sophomore)
3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds
Dylan Homenick (Redshirt Freshman)
DNP
Donovan Richardson (Redshirt Freshman)
DNP
Kirby Mooney (Walk-on)
0.7 points, 0.7 rebounds (3 games / 4 minutes)
Aiden Argabright (5’11)
The Richmond Spiders have a few key players returning, but Aiden Argabright coming back is a huge boost for their growth this season. Coming out of high school, he had offers from Mississippi State, Murray State, and several other mid-majors before he committed to Richmond. During his freshman season, he averaged 10.8 points, two rebounds, two assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 42.1% overall and 35% from three-point.
He hit the ground running with some strong performances while averaging 13.2 points and 2.2 steals over his first five games. He didn’t slow down either, in fact he improved as a playmaker over the course of the full season. By the end of the year he was averaging less than one turnover per game to his two assists.
Argabright finished the season with a 122.5 offensive rating which was 236th overall, 60% true shooting percentage, 15.9 assist rate, 8.9 turnover rate which was 98th overall, 2.7% steal percentage, and a strong 6.5 fouls drawn per game. With his knack to draw fouls, he also finished with an 88.4 free throw rate where he shot 82.7% from the line on 168 attempts against Division I opponents.
Collin Tanner (6’6)
Tanner is entering year four with Richmond and he’s continued to improve as each season has gone on. Last year, he started in 22 of the 29 games he appeared in while averaging 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. The 6’6 guard shot 44.3% overall and 29.2% from beyond the arc on 2.2 attempts per game.
His performance diminished a bit in conference, but he stepped up in February to close out the regular season. Tanner finished with a 109.1 offensive rating, 53.6% true shooting percentage, 13.4% defensive rebounding percentage, and he shot 56.6% from inside the arc against Division I opponents.
Will Harper III (6’5)
Smith was listed as a three-star recruit and ranked 365th overall in his class coming into his freshman season last year. Across 14 games, he averaged 3.4 points with 1.6 rebounds and shot 33.3% overall and 29.4% from three-point. He missed some time due to an ankle injury, but he shined against Saint Louis when he finished with 17 points and four rebounds in 26 minutes. You should expect to see some more playing time for the sophomore guard this coming season.
Dylan Homenick (6’11) & Donovan Richardson (6’6)
Both Homenick and Richardson redshirted last season for Richmond. Homenick is a 6’11 center that was one of the last to sign to the roster last year, meaning he was destined to be redshirt. He hails from British Columbia and he held one other Division I offer from Idaho State, but he decided to head to Virginia instead. There isn’t a ton of height on this team, so I could see him play in a limited role to provide some depth.
Richardson on the other hand had some legitimately strong offers from programs like Mississippi State, Murray State, Charleston, and more. The 6’6 guard was listed as a three-star recruit coming out of high school, and he looks like he could develop into a solid combo guard. Similarly to Homenick, I don’t think that he’ll be lighting up the court in year one, but you should expect to see him some as he continues to develop himself.
Kirby Mooney (6’3)
Mooney is listed as a walk-on, so you should expect to see him in a limited role this season.
Roster Additions
Andrew Ball (Senior) ~ Monmouth
7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds
Derin Saran (Junior) ~ UC Irvine
11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals
Dominick Stewart (Junior) ~ Penn State
6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Jamie Kaiser, Jr. (Junior) ~ Butler
9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.2 steals
Jack McCaffery (Sophomore) ~ Butler
2.8 points, 1.6 rebounds
Amon Dorries (Sophomore) ~ Bucknell
16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Sam Simmons, Jr. (Freshman)
Jaden Shoultz (Freshman)
Dane Caldwell (Freshman)
Chad Cook (Freshman)
Guards
Dominick Stewart (6’5)
Stewart has spent the last two seasons with Penn State where he turned himself into a regular starter during his sophomore year, starting in 24 of 32 games. The 6’5 guard averaged 6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 40.1% overall and 34.8% from three-point. While he had some strong games in the non-conference slate, arguably his best came in the Big Ten. He finished with 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists against UCLA, and 17 points with four rebounds and four assists against Maryland.
Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 110.7 offensive rating, 54.8% true shooting percentage, 10.4% defensive rebounding percentage, 12.8 assist rate, and he shot 50% from inside the arc. It’s worth noting that he essentially served as a three-point specialist while shooting nearly double the amount from outside at 112 compared to just 60 shots inside.
Richmond was 28th overall in three-point shooting percentage last year and just 234th from inside the arc. There’s no doubt that Stewart fits Chris Mooney’s scheme well and he’ll play a large role on the Spiders this season.
Derin Saran (6’5)
This isn’t Saran’s first rodeo in the transfer portal. The 6’5 guard out of Turkey started his career at UC Irvine where he averaged a strong 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman. He then transferred to Stanford and then back to the Anteaters after appearing in just five games for the Cardinals. Last year, he averaged 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 40.3% overall and 26.5% from three-point on 2.8 attempts per game. He had some monster games including 29 points with ten rebounds against Northern Iowa, and Saran even finished with a triple-double in just 25 minutes against a non-Division I school.
Saran’s metrics speak for themselves as he featured a 23.8% possession usage, 12.2% defensive rebounding percentage, 19.9 assist rate, and a 3.3% steal percentage which was 139th best in the country. Offensively, he took a step back from his freshman season, but his defense has continued to improve. During the Big West slate, he finished with a 3.5% steal percentage which was fourth best in the conference.
Jamie Kaiser Jr. (6’6)
After a strong showing in his freshman season at Maryland, Jamie Kaiser Jr. transferred to Butler where he took off in year two after recovering from an ankle injury that made him miss the 2024-2025 season. For the Bulldogs, he started in 29 games while averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, one assist, and 1.2 steals per game while averaging 43.6% overall and 34.5% from three-point on 3.9 attempts per game. Over the last five games of the regular season, he averaged 10.2 points, five rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
Similar to Saran, Kaiser is another strong defensive guard that the Spiders have added. He finished the season with a 2.4% steal percentage last year and a 3% steal percentage for Maryland the year prior which was 195th best in 2024. Last year, he had a 118.7 offensive rating, 55.8% true shooting percentage, 11.5% defensive rebounding percentage, and a solid 9.4 turnover rate which was 127th best. From inside the arc, he shot 53.2% overall.
You should expect to see Kaiser Jr. land in the starting lineup this coming season.
Jaden Shoultz (6’4)
Shoultz was a late addition to the team this year and there admittedly isn’t a ton of information out there on the young guard. He played for Dematha Catholic last season where he averaged just eight points as a senior. Prior to transferring to DeMatha, he did averaged over 16 points per game at Northland High School. He’s most likely going to redshirt this season, or see very limited time on the floor.
Shoultz held one other offer from UMass Lowell.
Sam Simmons Jr. (5’9)
Simmons Jr. might be just 5’9, but that didn’t stop him from winning Kansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year, ranking in the top-300 of his class (#1 in Kansas), and achieving a three-star recruiting status. During his senior season, he averaged 14.4 points, five assists, and 2.7 steals per game. There is no doubt that he’s undersized, but he’s not afraid to be a floor general. He has a high ceiling given the height disadvantage, and with that you should expect to see him on the court some this season as he begins to develop his game in college basketball.
Simmons Jr. held offers from Missouri State and Tennessee.
Forwards
Andrew Ball (6’9)
After spending the last three years with Monmouth, Andrew Ball is headed to Richmond. Last season he started in nine games and appeared in 34 games while averaging 20.5 minutes. He shot 50.5% overall and 30.5% from three-point while averaging 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. His offensive performances were a bit up and down, but when he’s hot, he’s hot. Between January 3rd and the 24th, he averaged 12.3 points and five rebounds over a seven game stretch while shooting 66%.
As eluded with his hot stretch, his metrics within the CAA were phenomenal. He finished with a 122.0 offensive rating, 16.2% defensive rebounding percentage, 63.4% true shooting percentage, 12.2 turnover rate, 3% block percentage, and a remarkable 69.6% shooting percentage from inside the arc which was 2nd best in the conference.
Jack McCaffery (6’9)
McCaffery was listed as the top recruit out of Iowa, 144th in the country, and a four-star recruit as he entered his freshman season with Butler. He started off three solid performances against USI, IU Indy, and Chicago State, but his role diminished over the next six games. After December 6th, he unfortunately battled a fluke injury that remedied him out for the season in which was was able to gain a medical redshirt.
In those nine games, he finished with a 109.5 offensive rating, 52.5% true shooting percentage, 9.3% offensive rebounding percentage, and a 9.2% defensive rebounding percentage. During his senior season in high school, he was named Iowa’s Gatorade Play of the Year after averaging 21.2 points with 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. I have no doubt that he’ll play a large role for Richmond this season in his first true season of college basketball.
Dane Caldwell (6’9)
The 6’9 forward was a dominant force during his senior season for the 29-2 Silver Creek high school in Sellersburg, Indiana. He finished the season averaging 17.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. Overall he was ranked 10th in his class coming out of Indiana, but he was still a bit underrated. He has some strong long-term potential as he’ll certainly continue to develop, especially even in a limited role as a freshman. He’s quick on his feet and he is a force on the glass.
Caldwell held offers from High Point, Buffalo, Bradley, Akron, Ball State, Miami Ohio, and ETSU.
Chad Cook (6’8)
Chad Cook wasn’t a highly touted prospect as he was mostly being looked at from smaller Northeastern programs. He was listed as the seventh best prospect out of New Hampshire. Similarly to the other freshman, Cook provides the Spiders with more long-term potential rather than a freshman that will make an impact in his first year with the program. He seems to be a strong defender with high-upside rebounding.
Cook held offers from Stonehill and Fairleigh Dickinson.
Centers
Amon Dorries (6’11)
Dorries is one of the best pickups for Richmond in my opinion. The 6’11 freshman out of Germany had a monster debut in college basketball. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while averaging 54% overall and 33.3% from three-point on 2.5 attempts per game. He finished with less than double-digit points just five times throughout the season, and he even finished with 12 points against #14 Saint John’s during the non-conference slate.
While there is no doubt that his metrics and numbers are skewed because he was the best player on a bad team, but look at some of these metrics:
61.4% true shooting percentage (169th overall)
57.8% effective field goal percentage (201st overall)
25% possession usage (368th overall)
60.1% shooting percentage from 2pt (292nd overall)
The Spiders have just two players over 6’10, in which the other is Dylan Homenick who redshirted last season. Given that, you’ll see plenty of Dorries this coming season.
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Expectations
Last year, there were some glaring gaps for Richmond. They finished 129th overall in offensive adjusted efficiency, but a lot of that was powered by their 357th ranked non-conference. In conference play, their average points per game dropped to just 72 points per game. During their 2-11 stretch, it dropped even further to 70 points on average. Once you factor in their 203rd overall ranking in defensive adjusted efficiency even with the weak non-conference schedule, you can see there were some areas for improvement.
Derin Sarin is an immediate upgrade defensively over their guards from last season. Aiden Argabright finished with a 2.7 steal percentage which was 355th overall in the country, in which he’s also returning to the Spiders. Similarly, Jaime Kaiser has been strong on defense as well, giving Richmond three strong defenders at the guard position.
Richmond was also weak on scoring inside the arc as they finished just 234th in the country in two-point shooting percentage. This allowed opponents to focus more on defending the three-point line, making it difficult for the Spiders to score with a well-rounded offense. Overall, just 43.6% of their points came from inside the arc which was just 318th best in the country. Amon Dorries was tremendous down low, and Jack McCaffery and Andrew Ball both had the ability to light it up from inside. McCaffery has room to grow, but Ball in particular already has the experience even if it was at a lower level, similar to Dorries.
Overall, this is an intriguing team to me. I don’t expect much out of the freshman, but they retained Aiden Argabright who is just going to continue to get better and better, along with another high-upside freshman in Will Harper. Then you follow up with some of the incoming pieces that are helping address the defensive woes, even if they are coming from lesser conferences. They should be better from down-low as well, letting them have a more complete offense. My breakout candidate for the team is Jaime Kaiser who posted strong numbers at Butler, in which will surely translate to the Atlantic-10.
The Atlantic-10 is going to be an ultra-competitive conference as always, but don’t sleep on Richmond.