College basketball season steps into the spotlight at conference media day

Highlander-with-Star

At its annual media day, the Big South Conference basketball community gathered on Oct. 28 in Charlotte to look ahead to another fun and exciting season.

At Radford University, the home season begins with a doubleheader on Nov. 20, when Head Coach Mike McGuire’s women’s team hosts Norfolk State at 5 p.m. and the RU men, under Head Coach Mike Jones, tip off against Howard at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, call (540) 831-7889 or visit the RU Highlanders website.

The Radford University men’s team, coming off a 22-win season a year ago, earned a third-place overall nod from the coaches and selected media members from around the conference in their preseason poll announced in Charlotte. RU senior forward Javonte Green was selected to the preseason all-Big South first team.

Green was named first-team all-conference at the conclusion of his junior season and second-team as a sophomore. He enters the season ranked seventh all-time in Radford career points (1,386), fifth all-time in rebounds (757) and fifth in steals (178). As a junior, Green became the first Jones-era player to earn first-team honors.

Last year, RU won its first NCAA postseason game in school history, defeating Oregon State on the road in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational. Led by Green's 16.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, the Highlanders also claimed the Upper Division title at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.

For the RU women’s team, senior guard Ayana Avery was named to the Big South's preseason all-conference second team, while Radford women's basketball was picked ninth in the conference pre-season poll.

The RU women open the 2014-15 season on Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. in Charlottesville against UVa and the men’s season-opener is Nov. 14 in Richmond against the University of Richmond at 7:30 p.m.

Oct 29, 2014