B-RadHoops - September 2008

September 28, 2008

This past week, I was the guest speaker at the Wytheville Rotary Luncheon.  Cole Wilder’s father, Alan, invited me and I had the opportunity to do something I really like--talk about Radford University and our team.

On Saturday, our team did a practice Mile Run in a light morning rain in preparation for the 3rd of our pre-season conditioning tests next Saturday October 4.  Our perimeter players must run the mile in under 6 minutes, the forwards must complete it under 6:15 and a post player needs to be under 6:25.  These are modest target times.  Any player unable to make his required time will repeat the test daily until crossing the finish line in time.  On Saturday we had 4 players break six minutes. Here are those runners:

 Jamar Jenkins – 5:59

Daniel Mitchell – 5:49

Lazar Trifunovic – 5:39

and Joey Lynch-Flohr – 5:13

Joey’s time is very impressive and he is definitely one of the best conditioned and most determined 6-8 forwards in college basketball.  I want this year’s team to be relentless in the desire and will to win.  Relentless in our determination to improve ever day.  Relentless and disciplined while working on individual skills and team execution.  One of the reasons Joey has improved as a player is because he is relentless in his approach to get better.  He is our hardest worker and the kind of player with whom every coach wants to work with.

On my way to Dedmon on Saturday morning, I counted 4 steel trusses on the roof!  Pretty exciting to see the framework of the new roof taking shape.  Hope we see the 5th one on cranes Monday morning!

The November 5th Radford Men’s Basketball Tip-Off Banquet is generating a lot of interest and we expect a great crowd.  Thanks again to Co-Event Sponsors Atlantic Bay Mortgage and Texas Roadhouse.  Here’s a link to press release about the event from ruhighlanders.com.

http://www.ruhighlanders.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=2437

Oct 2nd is a New River Valley Meet the RU Coaches event at the River Company Restaurant.  It’s a great opportunity to meet all of Radford’s coaches and talk RU athletics. 

19 days to our first practice! 

Go Highlanders

Brad

 

September 21, 2008

Exciting stuff is happening at Dedmon as steel trusses are arriving and building the framework to support Dedmon’s new permanent roof is on-going.  The trusses are massive and I believe when finished, the interior of Dedmon will be striking. 

Here a link to a news story WDBJ 7 Roanoke news did on the Dedmon construction this week.  You can access the actual newscast video clip once you get to their website.

Saturday morning, I was a co-keynote speaker along with VT head coach, my younger brother, Seth at the Blue Ridge Summit, a regional leadership conference hosted by the Department of Student Activities at Radford, VT & Roanoke College.  Roanoke College head coach, Page Moir, was there as well.  The theme of the event was “Exercise Your Leadership”.  The event was held at Squires Student Union in Blacksburg but I felt like I had the homecourt advantage as there were a large number of Radford students in attendance and most of them were sporting Dread the Red T’s. 

We had a solid 40 minute team work-out on the court Saturday afternoon.  Cole Wilder is resting a sore knee and Jamar Jenkins is nursing a slightly sprained ankle, but the rest of the squad is in really good physical shape for this time of the year.  We have added Daniel Mitchell, a freshman walk-on guard from Blacksburg to our roster for this year.  Daniel was a two sport star (Basketball and Soccer) for the Blacksburg Bruins.  We have some marvelously fit young athletes on our roster.  With the help of Dr. Kathleen Poole, Associate Professor in ESHE, we put our players in the BOD POD to measure their body composition.  Here are some of the results from the BOD POD in terms of weight and body fat percentages.  These guys are incredibly fit!

Prior to hitting the hardwood on Saturday our guys did a weight training session with strength and conditioning coach Max Appleby and went through the 2nd of three pre-season physical challenge tests.  The Yo-Yo Beep test is a series of timed sprints.  As the test progresses the time required to complete each sprint gets shorter.  It’s a test of one’s physical and mental toughness.  It can reveal how strong a “will” a player possesses.  I was very pleased with the “will” of all our guys Saturday but some really stood out.  Leading the way was Joey Lynch-Flohr who set a team record by reaching level 19.1.  Eric Hall set a personal best as well reaching level 18.1.  Others of note: Phillip Martin 18.1, Martell McDuffy 17.6, Kenny Thomas 17.5, Chris McEachin 17.5, Daniel Mitchell 17.5, Lazar Trifunovic 17.2, Art Parakhouski 16.7 & Jamar Jenkins 16.6.

Please plan to come to the NRV Meet the Coaches event on October 2 from 5 pm to 7 pm at The River Company.  You’ll get to meet and chat with all the RU Head Coaches.   Please RSVP by Monday, September 29 by calling (540) 831-5248 or emailing alumni@radford.edu.

Reservations and commitments are coming in for the Tip-Off Banquet on November 5th with special guest speaker John Feinstein.  The Muse Hall Banquet Room is the location.  Thanks again to Atlantic Bay Mortgage and Texas Roadhouse for co-sponsoring the event.  Call Ross Condon at 540-831-5125 to get more information.


Go Highlanders

Brad

September 14, 2008

Here’s another NCAA rule you might find interesting.  September 15th is the first day college basketball coaches can work with their entire team on the court with a ball. Prior to the 15th we could work out no more than four players at a time.  We are still limited to a grand total of 2 hours a week on the court until October 17th but I will take what the rules allow and can’t wait to divide those 2 hours into three 40 minute sessions each week to start teaching team tactics. 

This weekend we had two prospects visit our campus to see the excitement of RU. According to NCAA rules an “official” visit begins when a prospect arrives on campus and can last no longer than 48 hours.  Our official visits include a campus tour, a meeting with a professor if the prospect has identified an academic area of interest, and an opportunity to watch our players train.  We assign the prospect a “host player” who takes the player out during the evening to allow them a chance to meet other RU students and spend time with our players in a relaxed setting.  Each member of our staff spends time with the prospect and his family and I make a special presentation to the player and his family about RU and our basketball program. Thanks to Professor Jon Poole at ESHE who spoke to one prospect interested in education who would like to coach someday.  We have so many talented educators and administrators on our campus and our staff appreciates their generous time helping us tell the RU story. 

B-RadHoops wants to wish the very best to a Donna M. VanCleave, Radford University Vice-President for Finance who is leaving RU to become Vice-Chancellor for Administration for the Virginia Community College System.  Donna is a big RU hoops fan and an avid B-RadHoops reader who we will all miss. 

Big news re: the 2nd RU Men’s Basketball Banquet on November 5th.  Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group has joined Texas Roadhouse as event sponsors for this year. This week I spoke with special guest speaker John Feinstein.  He is writing a book about golfer Rocco Mediate and has been traveling quite a bit doing interviews with other golfers and has plans to spend time with Tiger Woods in the near future.  I gave John the go ahead to invite Tiger to the banquet!  Call Ross Condon @ 540-831-5125 to reserve a sponsor table or individual seat.  And if you can’t make it, you can still help us by sponsoring a seat or table for some of our players and their guests.

Go Highlanders

Brad

September 7, 2008

Fall semester is underway, the campus is energized and it was very busy week for our staff and team.   Mid week, we were able to move back into our offices in the Dedmon Center.  We started our pre-season workouts by teaching our team a series of shooting drills they can do when working out on their own.  This time of year we are allowed to be on the court with players and a ball for a total of two hours a week and we can work with no more than four players at a time.  On Saturday we began our strength and conditioning work with a weight lifting session and some conditioning sprints on the court. 

On Wednesday evening, Athletic Director Robert Lineburg, hosted a welcome back dinner gathering at Cupp Stadium of all RU athletes and coaches.  It was a great event with the theme  “19 Teams….1 Family”.  Texas Roadhouse in Christiansburg catered the event.  Please support that establishment if you get the chance. 

This week I got to tag along as a guest at a wonderful dinner at the home of RU Alum and Board of Visitor Rector RJ Kirk and Alana Czypinski as they entertained the RU Board of Visitors, administrators and special guests.  New BOV members, Walter Rugaber and his wife Sally and Darius Johnson were among the very special guests.  RJ treated the guests through a tour of his home and art collection.  Congrats to Tommy Fraim - a dedicated reader of B-RadHoops who has been appointed the new BOV Rector.

This weekend we hosted a few recruits on official visits.  NCAA rules prohibit me writing about this in detail.  But I can write that we appreciated the opportunity to show some very promising young players our beautiful campus and give them a chance to meet some amazing educators on our campus.  Thanks are due to Dr. Faye Gilbert-College of Business and Economics Dean and Professor,  Department of Art in the RU College of Visual and Performing Arts Associate Professor Richard Bay and Art Department Chairperson Steven Arbury for speaking with these players.  And special thanks to President Kyle for making the time to meet with the prospects and their families as well.  It is that type of campus support that makes a difference when recruiting high caliber prospects. 

Saturday afternoon I had the chance to talk to some RU alums courtesy of newly appointed RU Vice Rector Nancy Artis (RU Alum) and her husband Pat (VT Alum) as they entertained both RU and VT couples after the VT vs. Furman football game.  Guests included: Jim and June Brown (Fredericksburg), Joe and Georgia Anne Snyder Falkinham (Blacksburg), Margie and Warren Kark (Christiansburg), Vincent and Nancy Snidow (Newport News), Dick and Mary Skutt (Lexington), Butch and Nancy Manning (Duck, NC, Nancy and Bruce Pritchard (VA Beach) & Jeff and Harriet Price (Radford).

Banquet date: November 5th.  Call us at 540-831-5125 and ask for me if you want details or want to reserve a seat of table.  John Feinstein is the guest speaker and it is going to be a great evening.  Come meet the team and coaches and help us tip-off the season.

Go Highlanders

Brad

---