RADFORD TIPS OFF 2016-17 CAMPAIGN FRIDAY AT WAKE FOREST

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SETTING THE STAGE

Radford begins its 43rd season of men's basketball Friday night when it travels to ACC member Wake Forest for a 7:30 tipoff at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
Series: Wake Forest leads 5-0
Last meeting: Wake Forest 79, Radford 67 (Nov. 9, 2012)
After last year's double-overtime win at Georgetown, the Highlanders are 20-22 all-time in season openers and 2-3 under head coach Mike Jones.
Radford is starting on the road for the fifth consecutive year and this will be the fourth straight against a major conference opponent.
The game will air on ACC Extra on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
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HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

2015-16 Record: 16-15
It will be a new-look group for Radford in head coach Mike Jones' sixth season, after the departure of seven seniors to graduation, including four who rank in the program's top 10 in career games played, and the top two scorers from last season (Rashun Davis and Cameron Jones).
Preseason All-Big South second team selection Ed Polite, Jr. and redshirt junior guard Justin Cousin, the lone fourth-year member of the roster, lead the group of eight returners.
Polite, Jr. had an impressive all-around rookie campaign in which he ranked fourth in the conference in rebounding (7.4 per game) – second on the offensive end – and tied for second in blocks. He was third on the team with 8.7 points per game and third among freshmen in the NCAA in offensive rebounds.
Cousin started just under half the games last year, averaging 5.3 points, but he finished with double-figure performances in the last two contests, including a career-high 24 in the regular-season finale. He will be counted on for more production as well as being the team leader.
Redshirt sophomore forward Sterling Christy is the only other returner who started more than one game last year. He is coming back from an ACL injury suffered in early December.
The rest of last year's freshmen group, featuring guards Caleb Tanner and Devin Cooper, forward Christian Lutete and center Darius Bolstad will look step up into much bigger roles.
Jones also brought in three junior transfers to help fill the holes and provide needed experience at the collegiate level. Randy Phillips (East Central CC) showed well in team's exhibition win with a near double-double and is likely to get the start at the center position. Christian Bradford (Marion Military Institute) was an Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American and will see significant minutes in the backcourt, while Dominique Williams (Florida International) is expected to contribute as a wing player.
In-state recruits Devonnte Holland and Donald Hicks highlight the freshmen group. Holland left Martinsville as the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, while Hicks helped Oscar Smith to the VHSL 6A title game. Fellow freshman Carlik Jones is academically ineligible to play this season.
The coaching staff also includes new faces with David Boyden and Donny Lind assisting Jones.
The opener begins what Jones called the most challenging non-conference schedule in his tenure, with games at North Carolina and West Virginia and road matchups against formidable mid-majors such as Akron, Mercer and UNC Wilmington.

SCOUTING WAKE FOREST

2015-16 Record: 11-20
Former Kansas and NBA standout Danny Manning enters his third season as Wake Forest's head coach.
The Demon Deacons return three starters, but will have to replace leading scorer and rebounder Devin Thomas (15.6 ppg and 10.2 reb.).
Sophomore guard Bryant Crawford was second on the team in scoring as a freshman with 13.8 ppg, while posting team-highs of 56 3-pointers, 133 assists and 52 steals.
Junior forward Dinos Mitoglou (9.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and junior guard Mitchell Wilbekin (7.3 ppg) are the other returning starters.
Graduate transfer Austin Arians will likely be a significant addition after averaging 9.8 ppg and making 186 career 3-pointers in three seasons at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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