Men's Basketball 12/17/2019 3:30:00 PM

RADFORD LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Following a tough loss last weekend, the Radford men's basketball team looks to bounce back at Mississippi State on Wednesday night at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m., ET.

It was a tough outing for the Highlanders on Saturday in Akron. Radford recorded its lowest shooting percentage all season combined with its largest halftime deficit in a 71-49 loss. Leroy Butts IV led the way with 12 points and nine boards.

The Highlanders will look to rely on their backcourt that includes the Big South's second leading scorer, Carlik Jones. The redshirt junior is averaging 20.1 points per game. He's one of 35 players in the nation averaging 20.0 points per game or higher.

The team's second leading scorer is Travis Fields, Jr., averaging 10.7 points per game. The senior is leading the team with 29.9 minutes per outing. Fields Jr., tallied 14 of his 28 assists during the last three games. He and Jones account for 45 percent of the team's scoring and have 67 of the team's 110 assists.

Butts IV has been playing great basketball lately averaging 11.0 points and 6.3 rebounds over the last three contests. The Washington, D.C., native is shooting 61.5 percent from the floor during the three-game stretch and has chipped in three assists, three blocks and two steals over that time.

The Highlanders have only committed 96 turnovers all season, which ranks sixth in all of NCAA Basketball. As a team, Radford is averaging 10.7 turnovers per game ranking 15^th in the nation. Radford has committed less than 10 turnovers in four of the nine games this season and have not committed more than 15 all year long.

Mississippi State (7-2) bounced back with a big win over Kansas State, 67-61, at the Prudential Center in New Jersey after having its SEC-best, 26-game non-conference home winning streak come to a close versus Louisiana Tech on Dec. 5^th. The Bulldogs' other loss came to Villanova, 83-76, on Nov. 22^nd at the HTC Center in Conway, S.C.

All of the Bulldogs' wins minus Kansas State have been against mid-major programs. Two came from the Southland (Sam Houston State & New Orleans), two from the Sun Belt (ULM & Coastal Carolina), one from the C-USA (FIU) and the other from the American Athletic Conference (Tulane).

Tyson Carter leads the Bulldogs with 17.4 points per game, ranking fifth in the SEC. The senior guard is averaging 4.5 assists and 33.6 minutes per contest, both team-highs. He is one of three players averaging double-figure points this season. The other two are Reggie Perry (13.8) and Robert Woodard Jr. (11.7).

Perry is a preseason All-America selection by Lindy's (First Team), Street & Smith (Second Team) and Athlon Magazines (Third Team) in addition to being named a consensus All-SEC First-Team honoree. The 6-10 forward is currently listed as a candidate for six major awards which include the John R. Wooden, Karl Malone, Lute Olson, Naismith, NABC and Oscar Robertson. The sophomore leads the team with 9.1 rebounds per game.

Wednesday marks the first time in program history Radford and Mississippi State will meet on the hardwood.

The game can be seen on SEC Network+, via the ESPN App on smartphones, tablets and streaming devices and on computers via ESPN.com. SEC Network+ is not a television channel.

Wednesday night's game can also be heard live online through Stretch Internet or radio outlets, WRAD 101.7 FM and WVRU 89.9 FM.

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To follow the Radford men's basketball team, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordMBB on Twitter, 'radfordmbb' Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Leroy Butts IV: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#11 Travis Fields, Jr.: G; 5' 10"; Senior

#1 Carlik Jones: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

#13 Leroy Butts IV
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#11 Travis Fields, Jr.
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G

#1 Carlik Jones
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: G

Players Mentioned

#13 Leroy Butts IV

#11 Travis Fields, Jr.

#1 Carlik Jones

Players Mentioned

#13 Leroy Butts IV

#11 Travis Fields, Jr.

#1 Carlik Jones