Men's Basketball 6/7/2018 10:45:00 AM

MEN'S BASKETBALL TO PLAY IN 2018 GOTHAM CLASSIC

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PRINCETON, N.J. – Coming off its third Big South title and first ever win in the NCAA Tournament, the Radford men's basketball team will participate in the seventh annual Gotham Classic this November as part of the 2018-19 non-conference schedule.

The Highlanders will be joined by Notre Dame, Duquesne, UIC and in-state foe William & Mary.

Radford kicks off its portion of the event when it hosts UIC in the Dedmon Center on Nov. 9. The Highlanders will then hit the road for games at Notre Dame on Nov. 14, at Duquesne on Nov. 17 and finally at William & Mary on Nov. 20. Game times have not yet been announced.

The Flames of Illinois-Chicago went 20-16 last season, highlighted by a run to the CIT championship game in a strong postseason showing. Leading scorer Marcus Ottey (13.8 ppg) returns to headline a squad that brings back all but three players from a season ago. The Flames and Highlanders will go head-to-head for the first time ever when they meet in the New River Valley.

Radford's most high profile opponent in the Gotham Classic, Notre Dame is looking to rebound from a down year that ended in the second round of the NIT with a 21-15 record. Injuries were a major issue for head coach Mike Brey and company, but the Fighting Irish will feature plenty of talent in 2018-19 including T.J. Gibbs, Rex Pflueger and the nation's 10^th ranked recruiting class according to ESPN.com. It will be the first ever meeting between Radford and Notre Dame.

In six all-time meetings with the Duquesne Dukes, Radford owns a 1-5 record. The Dukes posted a 16-16 record in their first season under head coach Keith Dembrot after he made his way to the Steel City from Akron. Rising junior Mike Lewis II led the Dukes in scoring with 14.4 ppg last season while rising sophomore Eric Williams Jr., earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team a year ago with 14.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg.

In their return to the Commonwealth, the Highlanders will take on William & Mary for the ninth time in program history. The Tribe lead the series with a 6-2 record against Radford. This past season in which they compiled a 19-12 record, they set school records for points (2,636), field goals (910), 3-point field goals (337), and assists (548) while leading the country in 3-point field goal percentage (.434) and free throw percentage (.810).

The Gotham Classic is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, the Legends Classic, and the College Basketball Invitational. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com.

FULL GOTHAM CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Nov. 6 - UIC at Notre Dame
Nov. 9 - UIC at Radford
Nov. 10 - William & Mary at Duquesne
Nov. 12 - UIC at Duquesne
Nov. 14 - Radford at Notre Dame
Nov. 15 - William & Mary at UIC
Nov. 17 - William & Mary at Notre Dame
Nov. 17 - Radford at Duquesne
Nov. 20 - Duquesne at Notre Dame
Nov. 20 - Radford at William & Mary

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