MEN'S BASKETBALL VISITS WAKE TO OPEN 2012-13 CAMPAIGN

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RADFORD, Va. - Second-year head coach Mike Jones leads his Highlanders into ACC territory Friday to tipoff the 2012-13 season at Wake Forest. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m. from Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Highlanders have won four straight season openers, including last year's 58-54 victory over Delaware at the Dedmon Center. The last team to defeat RU on opening night was Michigan in the 2007-08 season.

Although one of the youngest teams in the country, the Highlanders will rely on the leadership and experience of senior guard Blake Smith and sophomores R.J. Price and Javonte Green. Price and Green were named to the All-Big South Freshman team a year ago and averaged 11.2 and 10.2 points, respectively.

Green led the team in rebounding at 6.7 and steals at 1.4 per game as a rookie. Price led the team in assists at 3.7 per game to go along with his team-high scoring average. Smith averaged 5.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.

All three veterans are expected to be in the starting lineup against the Demon Deacons, along with sophomore Kyle Noreen and redshirt-freshman Brandon Holcomb.

PRESEASON STORYLINES
♦ The 2012-13 Highlanders are one of the youngest teams in the country with over half of the roster consisting of freshmen (8 freshmen, 4 sophomores, 1 junior, 1 senior)
♦ RU has two returning sophomores off of last year's Big South All-Freshman team in guard R.J. Price and forward Javonte Green.
♦ The Highlanders were picked to finish fifth in the Big South North Division in the coaches/media preseason poll.
♦ Mike Jones returns for his second season at the helm of the Highlanders.
♦ Radford defeated Delaware, 58-54, in Jones' only season-opener with the Highlanders.
♦ RU has won four-straight season-openers. The last team to defeat the Highlanders on opening day was Michigan in the 2007-08 season.

HIGHLANDERS FACE ROAD TEST AT WAKE TO OPEN SEASON
♦ The Highlanders are 0-1 under Mike Jones in their road openers. Last year's team fell at Penn State in its first road game.
♦ Radford is 0-4 all-time against Wake Forest with all the games having been played in Winston-Salem.
♦ The series between the Highlanders and the Demon Deacons began in the 1992-93 season. RU and WFU have also met once in each of the 1997-98, 2000-01, and 2008-09 seasons.

A LOOK AT THE DEMON DEACONS
♦ Wake has played three preseason exhibition games, the most recent a 73-66 home win over Rollins last Friday. The Demon Deacons also defeated two Canadian schools on a trip north of the border in October.
♦ Wake was 13-18 a year ago and 4-12 in the ACC. The Deacons posted a 9-7 record at Joel Coliseum.
♦ The Demon Deacons had at least four players scoring in double figures in each of their three exhibition games. Wake's leading scorer over the three games was forward Travis McKie. He scored in double figures in each game and led the team with 26 points vs. Ryerson and 17 vs. Rollins.

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