Feb. 22, 2002
Moderator: (1:31 PM ET ) UNLV's Chris Richardson will be joining us shortly please continue to use the form below to submit questions.
Brad (Columbus): Since a lot of teams say that UNLV hosting the MWC tournament each year is a big advantage for you guys, I was wondering where you thought the toughest places to play in the conference are?
Chris Richardson: (1:34 PM ET ) Wyoming and BYU are the toughest because they have great fan support.
bookworm (Portland): Chris,
It has been a pleasure watching you play for four seasons. I am so happy that you have chosen to play for UNLV, when a lot of us know that you could have chosen several PAC-10 schools amongst other. Is this year starting to be fun for you? What is your "guess-timate" for our post-season run?
Chris Richardson: (1:35 PM ET ) Yes it has been fun. I've finally gotten a chance to play. If we win five of our next six games we should have a good chance to go to the Big Dance.
Danny (Atlanta): What is it like playing for Coach Spoonhour and at UNLV?
Chris Richardson: (1:36 PM ET ) Playing for UNLV is very fun and exciting. Coach Spoonhour is a good coach, I like him a lot. Hopefully we can finish out the year by going to the NCAA tournament.
Jean (Washington): I read a couple of articles this week saying that the team is starting to believe in Coach Spoonhour's system and judging by the recent won-loss record, it looks like you are starting to have some success. How is his system different from Coach Bayno's and Coach Good's?
Chris Richardson: (1:39 PM ET ) Coach Spoonhour had a winning record at St. Louis and we have a lot of respect for him. He wants us to go out and play hard. Coach Good came in at the middle of the year. He was a good coach but we only got to play for him half of a season.
Brian (Oakland): Are you going to enter the NBA draft, why?/why not?
Chris Richardson: (1:40 PM ET ) Yes I am because it's my last year and I feel I have what it takes to get drafted and make it in the NBA.
Bob (St. Louis): Chris. We hope you are enjoying Coach Spoonhour in Las Vegas. He is greatly missed in St. Louis. Charlie had a great restaurant named after him in St. Louis, has he opened one in Las Vegas yet?
Chris Richardson: (1:40 PM ET ) He hasn't opened a restaurant here in Las Vegas that I know of, he may in the future.
Vince (Anaheim): Why do you wear No. 20?
Chris Richardson: (1:41 PM ET ) No. 20 was my number in high school and is one of my favorite numbers. I've been wearing it for eight years now.
Josh, Abilene, Texas: Chris, I know it's been a while, but I wanted to let you know it's been nice to see you succeed this year in Vegas. It's nice to see someone from Corpus Christi displaying their skills for the rest of the country. How are you preparing for life after college? You looking to play ball overseas after this year? Give my best to your wife and daughter. Hope to see you sometime in the future. Peace, Josh Carroll H.S., Class of 2000
Chris Richardson: (1:43 PM ET ) I'd like to go to an NBA camp after college and get picked up or drafted by a team. I'll continue to play basketball either here or overseas.
RebSince74: What's it meant to you personally having the starting roll all year and getting major minutes? Good luck, and let's make a run through the MWC Tournament!!!
Chris Richardson: (1:44 PM ET ) It means a lot that the coaching staff has faith in me as a starter and senior. It shows the coaches have faith in my abilities. I've been here for four years and it's great to play a lot of minutes my senior year and start.
Brent (Atlanta): What is the most difficult team to play in the conference? why?
Chris Richardson: (1:45 PM ET ) They are all hard to play. It's a good conference, top to bottom, although we don't get that much publicity. Any given night you can lose to anyone.
bigtymeREBFAN: do you feel you have to improve on anything to play professionally? If so, what?
Chris Richardson: (1:46 PM ET ) I need to gain more weight and work on my outside game.
Jim (Las Vegas): It has been fun watching you play the past four years. Why did you choose to play at UNLV?
Chris Richardson: (1:48 PM ET ) I chose UNLV because I liked the coaches. The town was fun and the school had a winning tradition. My sophomore year when we won the MWC tournament is my favorite memory I'll take with me from Las Vegas.
Michelle (San Diego): How has being a father changed your life? Do you think athletes should be looked at as role models by the youth of America? why or why not?
Chris Richardson: (1:50 PM ET ) It hasn't really changed my life. When I come home whether I do well or not it doesn't matter because my family will love me anyway.
We as athletes need to make smart decisions in our spare time on and off the court because the spotlight is always on us.
sonev: C-Rich is in the house! What are your chances to win the MWC Tournament?
Chris Richardson: (1:51 PM ET ) We get to play it on our home court and we've been playing well. If we play the way we should we have a really good chance to win the MWC tournament.
Lori - Las Vegas, NV: Hi CRich, glad you are having a really good senior year and what do you plan on doing after you are done at UNLV? Also, are you getting your degree?
Chris Richardson: (1:52 PM ET ) I will be 15 hours short of getting my degree in business management with a minor in criminal justice at the end of this school year but I'll finish that this summer.
Chris (Vancouver): How is it playing in Vegas? Is it distracting?
Chris Richardson: (1:52 PM ET ) It's fun playing in Las Vegas because it's Las Vegas. It could be distracting but you have focus on why you're here and not allow it to be distracting.
Runnin_J: What direction do you see UNLV heading in the next few years?
Chris Richardson: (1:53 PM ET ) I see UNLV returning to the glory years of the '90s and being successful in the NCAAs.
Chiefrocker (Silver Spring): Out of the top 3 teams in the country (Kansas, Maryland and Duke)who do you see making the deepest run in the tournament?? Thanks!
Chris Richardson: (1:55 PM ET ) I see Duke and Maryland both making it to the Final Four. They are both playing very well. If we do what we need to do, we look forward to playing either in the Final Four.
Phoenix: Which is harder to play at Wyoming or Utah?
Chris Richardson: (1:56 PM ET ) I'd say Wyoming is a little harder because of the altitude. But they are both tough to play at.
Andrew (New York): Who do you see as the sleeper this year in the tournament?
Chris Richardson: (1:57 PM ET ) I'd say us, UNLV, if we get there.
Phoenix : How do you rate Wyoming's Josh Davis? Cause two weeks ago he had said that you are one of the top players in the MWC?
Chris Richardson: (1:58 PM ET ) He is tough. He can go inside and outside. He is good on D. He is very very tough to play against. He is one of the top players in the league, no question.
Wyo Fan: Which team would you like less to face in the MWC tournament
Chris Richardson: (2:00 PM ET ) Probably Air Force. Because they are playing very well, they beat New Mexico and BYU. Their style of play is difficult to play against. Guys probably wouldn't be up for them and so they could beat us. Defense is hard against them because they run the shot clock all the way down.
Albuquerque: who would you rate as the best & loudest fans in the conference?
Chris Richardson: (2:01 PM ET ) The Pit gets loud as does the Marriott Center at Provo. Those two are the loudest.
Andrew(New York): How does college relate to high school? What are some of the difficult changes?
Chris Richardson: (2:02 PM ET ) College is different because you travel around a lot more, there are not cupcake teams like in high school and the competition is a lot harder. Teams are stacked (i.e. Duke and Maryland).
Kentuckyman: Chris,What do you think was the most entertaining game to watch on TV this year?
Chris Richardson: (2:04 PM ET ) The most exciting teams to watch are Alabama, Duke, Maryland, Florida and Oregon to name a few. I like to watch almost anyone.
RebSince74 (Las Vegas of course!): Who's game do you try and model yours after, or do you just do your own thing......I know you can shot the rock from 3, we just don't see it much.
Chris Richardson: (2:05 PM ET ) I think the 1990 team which ran the ball and played really good D is who we try to pattern ourselves after.
Charlet (Fallbrook, CA): Hey Chris wassup? I was wondering what do you think about the Lady Rebels basketball team? Do you still go to their games ? I think you and the men's team are doing pretty good this season and hopefully you guys can keep that up. Good luck Chris with everything!
Chris Richardson: (2:07 PM ET ) Yes I still go to the Lady Rebels games. They've been playing really well and are on a role. They are looking forward to doing well in the MWC tournament and going to the NCAAs.
Moderator: (2:07 PM ET ) That is all the time that Chris has for us today. Come back Wednesday at
8 a.m. PST for a chat with UNLV senior forward Linda Fr?hlich.
