It’s usually in the NCAA Tournament where a team like Radford grabs the spotlight. That is, after all, when the lights shine brightest, and when the most eyes are on the hardwood. But from time to time, they do something big in November or December as well, and it’s enough to make one wonder if it could ever be a precursor to something in March.
Beating teams like Notre Dame and Texas, both on the road, will do that for you, even if this isn’t the first time this has happened in recent years.
Last year, the Highlanders had a team with potential, but that only counts for so much in a conference like the Big South. It all comes down to the conference tournament in one-bid leagues like that, but the jockeying for position in the regular season – as well as trying to develop so as to play your best late in the season. The Big South has been one of the most competitive conferences in recent years, often seeing five or six teams at the top separated by two or three games well into the season and in the final standings, so it can always seem like anybody’s game.
This year, the Highlanders are a veteran team and the defending champions. They are picked to win the Big South. They have a graduate transfer, three seniors, four true juniors and a redshirt junior and a redshirt sophomore.
History repeated itself in more ways than one on Friday night. During Mike Jones’ tenure as head coach, the Highlanders have picked up wins at Georgetown, Virginia Tech and Penn State. Last year’s hero in the Big South championship game did it again on Friday night, as Carlik Jones scored what proved to be the game-winning basket in the final minute.
For an interesting note, we look at the Highlanders’ defense, noting that they are holding opponents to 40.5 percent shooting on the season, a pretty good number. They haven’t padded that number against their weaker opponents, however: the two lowest opponent field goal percentages thus far have come against Notre Dame and Texas; the Longhorns’ 34.9 percent is a season low for a Radford opponent in the early going.
Don’t expect this team to stop any time soon. They still have to go to Clemson and Maryland, and in between those two games before Christmas they go to Southern Conference contender UNC Greensboro and host Sun Belt contender Georgia Southern. Jones is challenging this team, and they are responding the way a conference favorite – and a veteran team whose core won a championship a year ago – should respond.
Side Dishes
Opening night of Big Ten play was not a good one to be a home team, as road teams won both games. Michigan State went to Rutgers and pulled away from the Scarlet Knights 78-67, and Wisconsin pulled out a 72-66 win at Iowa. In each case, the road team overcame a double-double by someone on the home team.
Another Big Ten team in action but not against a conference opponent was Minnesota, who hosted the U.S. Bank Stadium Basketball Classic. Behind a big double-double from Jordan Murphy (24 points, 16 rebounds), the Golden Gophers beat Oklahoma State 83-76 in one of four games being played to help prepare for hosting the Final Four later this season, one of which was a Division III game played earlier on Friday evening. For Murphy, it’s a school record-tying 51st career double-double.
Tonight’s Menu
Although college football takes center stage with a number of conference championship games, there’s a busy slate on the hardwood that includes some early conference games.
- American Airlines Arena in Miami is home to four games in the Hoophall Miami Invitational. It starts with St. John’s battling Georgia Tech (noon), then Texas Tech takes on Memphis (2:30 p.m.), Vanderbilt takes on NC State (5 p.m.) and Miami plays Yale in what is essentially a home game for the Hurricanes (7:30 p.m.)
- Former Big East rivals meet in Newark as Louisville takes on Seton Hall at the Prudential Center (noon)
- Kentucky gets a mid-major test as UNC Greensboro comes to town (1 p.m.)
- Early Big Ten action features Northwestern visiting Indiana (1 p.m.), the best Big Ten matchup of the day with Purdue at Michigan (3:30 p.m.) and Maryland hosting Penn State (5 p.m.)
- The Southern Conference also has some early games as Mercer visits The Ciradel (1 p.m.), Western Carolina travels to undefeated Furman (4 p.m.) and Wofford hosts East Tennessee State (7 p.m.)
- A good one is on tap in Omaha as Gonzaga visits Creighton (2 p.m.)
- Kansas State travels to Milwaukee to take on Marquette in a good matchup (2:30 p.m.)
- The Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge concludes with San Diego State travels to Illinois State (3 p.m.) and Bradley hosting New Mexico (8 p.m.)
- Nevada puts their undefeated mark on the line a little further west as they visit USC (4:30 p.m.)
- In a big rivalry game, Rhode Island heads north to take on Providence (5 p.m.)
- Butler travels to take on Saint Louis in a battle of 5-1 teams (5 p.m.)
- Kansas tries to remain undefeated as they host Stanford (5:30 p.m.)
- Old Atlantic 10 rivals and long-time Big Five rivals clash as Temple goes across town to Saint Joseph’s 5:30 p.m.)
- Another doubleheader event on tap is the U.S. Bank Stadium Basketball Classic in Minneapolis, where Drake takes on North Dakota State (6:30 p.m.) before Northern Iowa battles South Dakota State (9 p.m.)
- Florida International is off to a nice 7-1 start, but they get a stiff test when they visit Arkansas (8 p.m.)
- In a matchup of two teams that we’re trying to figure out, Wichita State hosts Baylor (8 p.m.)
- Oregon hits the road to visit undefeated Houston (9 p.m.)
- Two one-loss teams battle as Utah State visits Big West contender UC Irvine (10 p.m.)
- Cal makes a short trip to take on Saint Mary’s (10 p.m.)
