Post by knvb141 on Nov 13, 2008 6:21:08 GMT -5
www.roanoke.com/sports/college/wb/183575
High hopes for Highlanders
The Sporting News has picked the veteran Radford team to win the Big South Conference.
By Ray Cox
381-1672
Radford guard Martel McDuffy finished 10th in the Big South in scoring last season as a junior.
Photos by Alan Kim | The Roanoke Times
Guard Kenny Thomas led the team in 3-point shooting last season.
RADFORD -- Preseason Big South Conference basketball rankings have not been cause for much note at Radford University in recent seasons.
Don't expect predictions that the Highlanders could go as high as first in the league this year to have much of an impact either.
Brad Greenberg, Radford's second-year coach, will discourage anybody from getting too carried away.
He did so by detailing the mechanics of preseason basketball beauty contests to his young men.
First, he said, these analysts at publications such as The Sporting News, which picked the Highlanders to win the conference, look at the numbers. The numbers look good, the team looks good. That's how they think.
Same for the coaches, publicists, and reporters who vote in the Big South poll that picked Radford second. They looked at five returning starters, four double-figure scorers, a skyscraper from Belarus by way of an Idaho junior college, and they're on board.
The evidence in Radford's favor, the coach conceded, was compelling.
"We have the potential to be good," he said. "But we haven't proved that we can be a winning team on a regular basis,"
Experience, Radford has plenty of it on the perimeter with senior wings Martel McDuffy and Kenny Thomas and junior point Amir Johnson. Among them, they have combined college minutes approaching 6,000 and 2,221 points.
"Also 100 more turnovers than assists," Greenberg said.
The coach was blunt with his veteran leaders.
"He told us Radford was only going to go as far as we can lead it," McDuffy said.
Fine, said Johnson.
"Everybody likes a good challenge," he said. "Everybody wants a goal."
Down low, rugged 6-foot-8 junior Joey Lynch-Flohr established his Big South reputation last year by averaging 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Another veteran (22 starts), 6-8 Eric Hall, hauled in 5.1 rebounds per game.
Respectful of his team's efforts and abilities, Greenberg offered a word of caution.
"Stats accomplished for a losing team don't mean anything," he said.
If that sounds harsh to you, it doesn't to the players.
"We haven't done anything yet," McDuffy said.
Make it 18-42 overall and 8-20 in the league the past two seasons.
The coach laid it on the players straight.
"If we want something special to happen for us this year, and I think it can, then we have to make it happen," Johnson said.
The weapons cache is in good order, inside as well as out. Lynch-Flohr and Hall will be getting major help from 6-11, 260-pound post Artsiom Parakhouski, the transfer from the College of Southern Idaho. There, he helped lead the team to a 30-2 record and second place in the final regular-season NJCAA Division I poll last season. His contributions: conference-leading 64.4 percent shooting and season high games of 28 points and 21 rebounds.
"When he's healthy, he's our starting center," said Greenberg, noting Parakhouski missed a week of practice with a pulled groin.
There are big plans for the big man.
"Art is a big 6-11 and skilled," Johnson said. "He does things a lot of 6-11 guys can't do."
Johnson's goal is to encourage more of the same.
"We go inside out," said Johnson, 266 assists and 228 rebounds in three years. "I'll be getting it to our scorers Joey and Art. "
Radford will have better depth than it's had. Hall will be coming off the bench as will the athletic and improved forward Phillip Martin, the junior from Roanoke Catholic.
"I'm really happy with Phillip right now," Greenberg said. "He's healthier now than he's been in a year. I love his toughness and commitment at the defensive end."
Another transfer of note for the future is 6-8 Lazar Trifunovic, who started 27 games at Binghamton last year with 22 double-figure scoring outings to go with 7.1 rebounds average.
Among those with eligibility, expect Jamar Jenkins, a 6-6 senior, to play, along with freshman guard Aaron Austin. More depth comes from guard Chris McEachin and forward Nick McFarlin, both sophomores.
Also in the backcourt are Timesland walk-ons junior Cole Wilder (George Wythe) and freshman Daniel Mitchell (Blacksburg).
Highlanders last season
Record: 10-20, 5-9 Big South Postseason: Lost to No. 2 seed Winthrop in the first round of the Big South tournament.
High hopes for Highlanders
The Sporting News has picked the veteran Radford team to win the Big South Conference.
By Ray Cox
381-1672
Radford guard Martel McDuffy finished 10th in the Big South in scoring last season as a junior.
Photos by Alan Kim | The Roanoke Times
Guard Kenny Thomas led the team in 3-point shooting last season.
RADFORD -- Preseason Big South Conference basketball rankings have not been cause for much note at Radford University in recent seasons.
Don't expect predictions that the Highlanders could go as high as first in the league this year to have much of an impact either.
Brad Greenberg, Radford's second-year coach, will discourage anybody from getting too carried away.
He did so by detailing the mechanics of preseason basketball beauty contests to his young men.
First, he said, these analysts at publications such as The Sporting News, which picked the Highlanders to win the conference, look at the numbers. The numbers look good, the team looks good. That's how they think.
Same for the coaches, publicists, and reporters who vote in the Big South poll that picked Radford second. They looked at five returning starters, four double-figure scorers, a skyscraper from Belarus by way of an Idaho junior college, and they're on board.
The evidence in Radford's favor, the coach conceded, was compelling.
"We have the potential to be good," he said. "But we haven't proved that we can be a winning team on a regular basis,"
Experience, Radford has plenty of it on the perimeter with senior wings Martel McDuffy and Kenny Thomas and junior point Amir Johnson. Among them, they have combined college minutes approaching 6,000 and 2,221 points.
"Also 100 more turnovers than assists," Greenberg said.
The coach was blunt with his veteran leaders.
"He told us Radford was only going to go as far as we can lead it," McDuffy said.
Fine, said Johnson.
"Everybody likes a good challenge," he said. "Everybody wants a goal."
Down low, rugged 6-foot-8 junior Joey Lynch-Flohr established his Big South reputation last year by averaging 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Another veteran (22 starts), 6-8 Eric Hall, hauled in 5.1 rebounds per game.
Respectful of his team's efforts and abilities, Greenberg offered a word of caution.
"Stats accomplished for a losing team don't mean anything," he said.
If that sounds harsh to you, it doesn't to the players.
"We haven't done anything yet," McDuffy said.
Make it 18-42 overall and 8-20 in the league the past two seasons.
The coach laid it on the players straight.
"If we want something special to happen for us this year, and I think it can, then we have to make it happen," Johnson said.
The weapons cache is in good order, inside as well as out. Lynch-Flohr and Hall will be getting major help from 6-11, 260-pound post Artsiom Parakhouski, the transfer from the College of Southern Idaho. There, he helped lead the team to a 30-2 record and second place in the final regular-season NJCAA Division I poll last season. His contributions: conference-leading 64.4 percent shooting and season high games of 28 points and 21 rebounds.
"When he's healthy, he's our starting center," said Greenberg, noting Parakhouski missed a week of practice with a pulled groin.
There are big plans for the big man.
"Art is a big 6-11 and skilled," Johnson said. "He does things a lot of 6-11 guys can't do."
Johnson's goal is to encourage more of the same.
"We go inside out," said Johnson, 266 assists and 228 rebounds in three years. "I'll be getting it to our scorers Joey and Art. "
Radford will have better depth than it's had. Hall will be coming off the bench as will the athletic and improved forward Phillip Martin, the junior from Roanoke Catholic.
"I'm really happy with Phillip right now," Greenberg said. "He's healthier now than he's been in a year. I love his toughness and commitment at the defensive end."
Another transfer of note for the future is 6-8 Lazar Trifunovic, who started 27 games at Binghamton last year with 22 double-figure scoring outings to go with 7.1 rebounds average.
Among those with eligibility, expect Jamar Jenkins, a 6-6 senior, to play, along with freshman guard Aaron Austin. More depth comes from guard Chris McEachin and forward Nick McFarlin, both sophomores.
Also in the backcourt are Timesland walk-ons junior Cole Wilder (George Wythe) and freshman Daniel Mitchell (Blacksburg).
Highlanders last season
Record: 10-20, 5-9 Big South Postseason: Lost to No. 2 seed Winthrop in the first round of the Big South tournament.