Men's Basketball 1/8/2018 12:00:00 PM

RADFORD HEADS TO CSU IN SEARCH OF SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN

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GAME INFORMATION

SETTING THE STAGE

Radford is on an absolute tear, winning five straight games, including the first three games in Big South play, to sit alone atop the conference standings
The Buccaneers ended 2017 strong with a dominating 84-43 win over Longwood, but 2018 hasn't been as kind and they've dropped back-to-back contests to Liberty and High Point
Tuesday night's game is CSU's first game at home and Radford's first game on the road home in the new year

SERIES HISTORY

The Highlanders hold a commanding 45-27 lead over the Buccaneers in the overall head-to-head series
The 1990-91 season was the first to feature a matchup between the two programs. Radford earned two wins over CSU in the regular season and then topped them a third time in the first round of the Big South Tournament
Last season, the Buccaneers came away with a 70-64 victory over Radford in Charleston, but the Highlanders got revenge back in the NRV with a 79-67 win

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Record: 10-6 (3-0 Big South) | RPI: 81
Radford is 3-0 against Big South opponents for the first time since the 2009-10 season. That year, the teams they beat were Presbyterian, Winthrop and UNC Asheville, just like this year
Radford's current five-game win streak is their longest since the 2014-15 season when they won eight straight, all of which were in conference play
The Highlanders will have to pick up their game on the road, however, where they are just 3-6 this season
Junior forward Ed Polite Jr. has posted four straight 20-point games including a career-high 29 against Big South preseason favorite UNC Asheville on Saturday
Through three conference games, Polite Jr. is averaging 25.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. He is shooting 65.9% from the field including a stunning 56.3% from beyond the arc
Redshirt freshman Carlik Jones bounced back from a tough game vs. Winthrop by dropping 18 points, five rebounds and five assists against UNC Asheville
The starting lineup of Jones, Bradford, Hicks, Polite Jr. and Phillips is now 5-2 this season, the most wins of any starting combination this season
Sticking out as some keys to success, the Highlanders are 7-3 when winning the opening tip, 9-1 when leading at halftime, 9-1 when outrebounding the opponent and 7-1 when shooting more free throws than the opponent

SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS

Record: 6-8 (1-2 Big South) | RPI: 321
Head Coach Barclay Radebaugh is one of the longest tenured coaches in the Big South having reached his 13^th season with the Buccaneers. He has accumulated a record of 166-214 in that time
CSU was picked to finish eighth in the Big South Preseason Poll, just behind Radford who was tabbed seventh
The Bucs have experienced some ups and downs already this season, winning straight games in November before losing four straight games immediately after
The Buc Dome isn't a large arena, but it still provides a home court advantage for CSU. The team is 4-2 in front of its home crowd which has averaged 540 fans per game this season
Sophomore guard Christian Keeling was a Preseason All-Big South first team selection after finishing second in Freshman of the Year honors in 2016-17
Keeling currently leads the Bucs in scoring at 16.8 points per game, but in a scary moment, collapsed and was forced to leave the court in CSU's loss to High Point on Saturday
Forward Travis McConico (12.4) and freshman guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (10.9) have joined Keeling in double-figure scoring this season
The Buccaneers are a strong defensive team, holding opponents to 69.5 points per game
They are also an excellent rebounding team, ranking first in the Big South with 38.6 per game including a conference-leading 12.8 offensive boards per game

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Players Mentioned