RADFORD SET FOR CHALLENGING START TO BIG SOUTH PLAY

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SETTING THE STAGE

The Radford men's basketball team is set to begin Big South Conference play with a challenging first two games, hosting defending tournament champion UNC Asheville Thursday at 7 p.m., before a road matchup at preseason favorite Winthrop on Saturday (12 p.m.).
Series History vs. UNCA: Series is tied at 34-34 after Radford rallied to sweep both regular-season meetings last season, by a combined three points. The Highlanders have won three in a row overall and are 21-10 against the Bulldogs at home.
Series History vs. Winthrop: Radford holds a 35-34 edge, but Winthrop won both meetings last year, including an 87-77 decision in Rock Hill. The Eagles are 17-15 in the series at home.
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Game Notes: UNC Asheville

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Record: 5-7
Radford posted a perfect 4-0 mark at home in non-conference play, capped by an 82-58 victory over Grace College last Friday. The Highlanders held their opponents to 62.5 points per game and 37 percent shooting.
Ed Polite, Jr. is averaging a team-best 10.2 ppg and leads the Big South with 9.9 rebounds per game (33rd in the NCAA) and 3.2 offensive rebounds per contest. He shares first in the conference and is tied for 33rd nationally with his five double-doubles.
Polite, Jr. has led Radford in rebounding in 29 of his 42 career games, while posting double-digit totals 12 times. He is also tied for fourth in steals per game (1.7) this year and 10th in free-throw percentage (68.1).
Justin Cousin has scored in double figures and made at least three 3-pointers in four of the last five games, averaging 11.8 points and shooting 54 percent (14 of 26) from beyond the arc, including 8 of 13 in the last two outings.
For the season, he is tied with Caleb Tanner for second on the team with 8.8 ppg.
Darius Bolstad is coming off a career-high 12 points, along with eight rebounds, against Grace. He also added three blocks, giving him 16 on the season in nine games played, tied for second in the Big South at 1.8 per game.
Christian Bradford dished out a career-best seven assists in the Grace win, and is now tied for fourth in the conference at 3.2 per game, while contributing 7.6 ppg.
Three of Donald Hicks' four double-figure scoring games have come at home.
Radford leads the Big South in offensive rebounds per game, with Polite, Jr. first and Randy Phillips tied for third individually. The Highlanders are also second in rebounding margin and third in total rebounds per game.
Radford is opening up conference play at home for the fifth straight year, holding a 2-2 record in the previous four. The Highlanders are 8-7 all-time in league openers at Dedmon and 12-18 overall in Big South lid-lifters.

SCOUTING UNC ASHEVILLE

Record: 8-5
UNC Asheville had won eight of nine games before dropping a pair of two-point decisions at home to UNC Greensboro (75-73) and at Ohio State (79-77) last week.
The Bulldogs' other losses were to VCU, Georgia and Kansas, while they posted victories over Furman, Coastal Carolina and Elon (78-69).
UNCA ranks third in the NCAA in turnover margin, sixth in steals per game (10.5) and 10th in turnovers forced per game (18.1).
Individually, junior Ahmad Thomas is the nation's leader in total steals (44) and ranks third in steals per game (3.4). Thomas also stands third in the Big South in scoring (16.2 ppg), second in field-goal percentage (53.4), and 10th in rebounding (5.7). He is shooting 53 percent (20 of 38) on 3-point attempts.
The Bulldogs lost 2015-16 Big South All-Freshman Team members Dylan Smith and Dylan Sutton to transfer, but freshman MaCio Teague ranks sixth in the conference in scoring this season, averaging 14.3 per game. He leads the team with 27 3-pointers, while shooting 41 percent behind the arc. Teague tallied a team-high 23 points against Ohio State.
Junior guard Kevin Vannatta leads three Bulldogs with more than 30 assists, averaging 2.6 per game, along with 7.7 points.
Asheville stands third in the conference in field-goal percentage (45.0) and points allowed (68.2), but eighth in rebounding (32.5).

SCOUTING WINTHROP

Record: 8-3
Winthrop, last year's regular-season co-champion and tournament runner-up, takes a four-game winning streak into its conference opener at Charleston Southern Thursday.
The Eagles are coming off of victories over Georgia Southern (86-84) and at Saint Louis (66-55) last week, and also own non-conference road wins over Illinois, Manhattan and Furman.
Big South Preseason Player of the Year Keon Johnson is second in the conference with 18.7 ppg, while shooting 42 percent from the field, and ranks second in free-throw percentage (88.3). Johnson has scored over 20 points in six games, including 38 in the overtime win at Illinois.
Xavier Cooks, a conference preseason first-team pick, is fourth in the league in scoring (16.1 ppg), fourth in rebounding (6.9), field-goal percentage (48.5) and blocks (1.4). Cooks has reached double-figures eight times, including 30 against New Hampshire and 27 vs. Georgia Southern.
Duby Okeke is third in the conference in blocks (1.5 per game).
As a team, Winthrop leads the conference in scoring (78.1), ranks second in scoring margin and blocks per game, third in field-goal percentage defense and fourth in rebounding.

UP NEXT

Following the game at Winthrop, Radford returns home to face Gardner-Webb on Jan. 4, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#45 Darius Bolstad: C; 6' 8"; Sophomore

#14 Justin Cousin: G; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#24 Ed Polite, Jr.: F; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#10 Caleb Tanner: G; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#3 Christian Bradford: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#5 Donald Hicks: G; 6' 3"; Freshman

#32 Randy Phillips: C; 6' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#45 Darius Bolstad
: 6' 8"; Sophomore
: C

#14 Justin Cousin
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#24 Ed Polite, Jr.
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: F

#10 Caleb Tanner
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: G

#3 Christian Bradford
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#5 Donald Hicks
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: G

#32 Randy Phillips
: 6' 8"; Junior
: C