Season preview: Richmond JR PF TJ Cline

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There are plenty of college basketball players whose fathers were college stars or even NBA stars, but TJ Cline is 1 of the very few whose mother (Nancy Lieberman) is a Hall of Famer.  TJ began his college career at Niagara and was good enough to make the MAAC All-Rookie team as a freshman.  However, he decided to transfer to Richmond in 2013, and after redshirting for a year it appears to have been a good move.  He was a double-digit scorer as a sophomore, shot over 50% from the field, and was 1 of the best 3-PT shooters on the team despite standing 6’9″.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with TJ about his legendary genetics and the importance of having a home-court advantage.

In the 2013 NIT as a player at Niagara you scored 11 PTS in a loss to Maryland: could you have ever imagined that just 2 years later some experts are projecting the Terps as the top team in the nation? They had a lot of talent 2 years ago but their roster has changed a lot since then. They have a great coach in Mark Turgeon, and with guys like Melo Trimble/Jake Layman they are a real powerhouse.

Despite making the MAAC All-Rookie team you decided to transfer: why did you want to leave, and what made you choose Richmond? Niagara gave me a scholarship when I did not have a lot of offers, but after Coach Joe Mihalich left for Hofstra he took 2 of our best players and I felt that it would be a rebuilding situation. When I visited Richmond I fell in love with the campus and the coaches, so it was a perfect fit for me.

You play for Coach Chris Mooney: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He does not just pick the recruits with the highest rating: he wants guys who fit into his system. He is a really good game planner: our scouting is unlike anything that I have ever seen before. I used to rush into my offensive moves because I was not the fastest guy, but he has taught me to play at my own pace.

Last January you scored a career-high 23 PTS (8-12 FG) in a win over Davidson: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? It was something like that, but more that my teammates found me in good situations. When you have a passer who can find you when you are open and draws a lot of attention himself, it makes life easy.

In the 2015 NIT quarterfinal you scored 17 PTS (3-9 3PM) in a 2-PT loss to Miami: how close did you come to winning the game, and what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? We came out really strong and were excited to have a chance to make it to Madison Square Garden. We were up by about 15 PTS early so we learned to never take our foot off the pedal. We have been stressing this year that we cannot take any basket for granted.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Wake Forest/West Virginia/Florida/Texas Tech: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Those are all great teams but we feel that we are capable of beating anyone on our schedule. There is a 4-5 game stretch at the start of the year that will teach us what we are made of.

Last year you set a school record with 16 home wins: how much of a home-court advantage do you have while playing at the Robins Center? I think that we have the best fans in the nation, and as the season progressed it seemed like people got even more excited to come to our games. It makes it such a great environment for us: Miami coach Jim Larranaga said that when his team played here it felt like Cameron Indoor Stadium!

You are 1 of 4 returning starters: how crucial do you think all of that experience will be to your team’s success this year? It is huge. We lost a 2000-PT scorer in Kendall Anthony, but ShawnDre’ Jones will step into his role and we have some other great players coming back. We will not take any game for granted after losing so many close ones on the road, which will help us this year.

Your mother Nancy Lieberman is 1 of the best women’s players ever and your father Tim Cline played for the Washington Generals: did they ever try to talk you into or out of playing basketball, and do you credit at least some of your success to genetics? They never talked me into or out of it: they really let me do whatever I wanted to do.  My goal since I was young was to try to make it to the NBA, and my desire is strong because they never forced me into it. I think I got a lot of my basketball savvy from my parents, who were both incredible athletes.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We have 1 goal: winning the A-10 and making it to the NCAA tourney. We were in the NIT last year and made a heck of a run, but this year everyone is buying into “NCAA or bust”.