MEN'S BASKETBALL TIPS OFF THE SEASON FRIDAY NIGHT IN D.C.

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LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO | GAME NOTES

The 2013-14 Radford men's basketball team opens its season Friday in our nation's capital with a 7:00 p.m. tip at George Washington and the Charles E. Smith Center. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Highlanders and the Colonials, a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

RU SPORTS RADIO NETWORK
• Each Radford men's basketball game can be heard live in the New River Valley on the RU Sports Radio Network on the campus flagship, WRVU 89.9-FM and on the commercial affiliate, SuperSports 101.7-FM. Rick Watson handles the play-by-play for the Highlanders.
• The live stream can also be heard world-wide on www.radfordathletics.com.

SERIES NOTES
• This will be the first meeting all-time between Radford and George Washington.
• Radford is 10-39 all-time against current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference (1-5 vs. Duquesne; 4-13 vs. George Mason; 2-16 vs. Richmond; 3-5 vs. Virginia Commonwealth).
• Radford is 6-12 all-time vs. teams from the District of Columbia (1-3 vs. American; 2-0 vs. Catholic; 2-6 vs. UDC; 0-1 vs. Georgetown; 1-2 vs. Howard).

SEASON OPENERS
• Radford is 4-1 in its last five season openers. Last year, the Highlanders fell at Wake Forest, 79-67.
• Radford is 19-20 all-time in season openers.
• Radford is 5-17 all-time in season openers on the road, which includes a 1-1 mark on neutral courts.
• Radford is 1-1 in season openers under Mike Jones (0-1 on the road).

THE HIGHLANDERS
Radford head coach Mike Jones said he is "ready for the season to get started," and with that excitement comes a new level of expectations from his team. Now in his third season at the helm of the Highlanders, Jones said this is really the first time he and his coaching staff have been able to turn over some of the teaching aspects to his veteran players like Price, Carethers, Javonte Green, Kyle Noreen, and Brandon Holcomb.

"They now know how we like to do things," Jones said. "The mark of a good team is when the players on the floor can hold each other accountable and coach the team a little bit."

The Highlanders have a wealth of talent and depth at the guard position led by Price and the only senior on the team, Allen Dickerson, plus returning sophomores Rashun Davis and Ya Ya Anderson. Davis was named to the Big South All-Freshman team a year ago after averaging 9.4 points per game in league play.

Green and Noreen are also combination players at both the guard and forward spots. Green earned Big South Second-Team All-Conference honors a year ago. He ranked second in the league in steals, fourth in rebounding, fifth in field goal percentage. He led the Highlanders with 14.6 scoring and 8.1 rebounding averages. Noreen is RU's role-playing defensive-minded leader on the court.

Jones lauded that the most improved group on the team is with the post and interior players.

"We have a lot more depth and a lot better scoring options," he said.

Look for Holcomb, Carethers, Kion Brown, and Lucas Dyer to be more physical and offensive minded this season to go along with the Jones team staples of defense and rebounding.

"We are playing with a lot more poise," Jones said. "It's great to see our guys understand this game and our program is all about defense and rebounding. At the end of the day, you have to be able to defend and rebound."

SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Interrupted only in 1909-12, 1918-20 and 1943-45, the 2013-14 campaign will mark the 100th season in which George Washington has fielded a varsity men's basketball program, dating back to its debut in 1906-07. The Colonials carry an all-time record of 1,243-1,080 into tonight's game.

George Washington begins its third season under Head Coach Mike Lonergan with five returning starters among eight returning letterwinners and a quartet of eligible newcomers.

Upperclassmen led the way for GW in its 85-68 victory over Bowie State in an exhibition at the Smith Center on Saturday. Nemanja Mikic, Maurice Creek and Isaiah Armwood combined for 42 points to lead a balanced offense as the Colonials defeated the Bulldogs in the preseason tune-up.

Mikic led all players with 19 points and five 3-pointers, while Creek and Armwood both posted double-doubles - Creek finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three steals, and Armwood stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks. Freshman Miguel Cartagena also reached double figures with 11 points off the bench, sophomore Kevin Larsen added eight points and six boards, and sophomore Kethan Savage chipped in nine points, seven assists, three steals and appeared on NBC Sports' CollegeBasketballTalk with a big first-half dunk over a Bowie State defender.

The Colonials will be without sophomore guard/forward Patricio Garino, who is out several weeks with a fractured finger, and sophomore guard Joe McDonald is questionable with a hip injury.

HIGHLANDERS IN THE CAREER AND SEASON RECORD BOOKS
• Javonte Green ranks 7th all-time at RU with 182 career offensive rebounds.
• Javonte Green missed tying the single-season school record for steals by one steal in 2012-13. He finished with 66, one behind the record of 67 held by Chris Hawkins and Phil Young.
• R.J. Price ranks 9th all-time in career three-point field goals made with 144.

HARD TO BELIEVE STAT
• Jalen Carethers has 17 career steals in his first two years as a Highlander. They have all come one at a time in 17 different games.

2013-14 ACCOLADES
• Javonte Green - Preseason All-Big South Second Team

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