#192 R.P.I. Radford @ #137 R.P.I. Virginia Tech:

Radford is a respectable 4 up and 1 down and was tabbed third in the Big South’s North Division. Yah; I know, clearly cartography is not their thing. Though I digress…

Last year sophomoric head coach –and potential up and comer- Mark Jones bit the freshman bullet and went full throttle into the Highlands with a youth movement extraordinaire. Not everyone has the guts to scuttle a present tense season and play with a future tense approach. So you gotta give Coach Jones that round 10-9 on long-view braveness alone. Other than that; Radford has not been very good since 2009; although they did break the seal on double-digit wins last year (13) for the first time in five seasons. So there are signs here if you are a Highlander fan or just so happen to like Sean Connery. Though I digress again…

As this is a very backcourt heavy Radford hoops club with 1 or 2 guys back there who could prolly help coach J’s and Virginia Tech. Beyond that; what you see is what you get and what you are gonna get  is potentially an upper Big South team on a small time Black Friday Thanksgiving Day+1. Or in other words, sit wherever you want, those are called fans who are cleverly disguised as open-seats.

Today’s word is … Thanksgiving:

thanks·giv·ing  (thngks-gvng)

Radford Backcourt: (returning starters=2 of 3)
Anytime a 6’4’’ Guard/Forward combo leads you in everything; that’s not a good sign –even if #2 Mr. Green is a colorful Big South all-star candidate this pre-season. Green is good, and Lindy’s has him listed as the best rebounder in the whole entire Big South Conference. That’s impressive; although you have to wonder what that says about the rest of the Big South? Green is a Va. High School Player of the Year, and he nets you a team leading 17 ppg, with a team leading 7 boards per contest with a team leading 1.4 steals and a team leading .573% from beyond the arc. Do you see a leading pattern here? Because I see a kid who could truly help coach J’s right ^there^.

R.J. Price and Ya Ya (great name) Anderson start along side Mr. Green in Coach Jones’ 3-guard backcourt rotation. R.J. was second in the Big South last year in 3-piont percentage; as his range is basically the gym, if he’s in it, he’s open. This year the marksman turned Pt.Guard is leading the Highlanders with 4.4 dimes and also throwing in a second best 11.8 ppg with a likewise first-best 82.4% from the charity-stripe. Ya Ya is a bulky looking Point who is another former Va.H.S. Player of the Year; while reminding you of former UConn great Khalid el-Amin just a scosche.  Ya^2 gets you 11.3 ppg on a sizzling 55% from 3-point land and yet a mere 55% from the FT-line. Go fig’ on that? Although this kid is not afraid to take the game-wining shot; either.

Radford Frontcourt: (starters back=2)
Kyle Noreen and Brandon Holcomb basically are the Highlanders frontcourt less one substitute on the entire roster. So any foul trouble here could prove lowlander indeed. Kyle is a Minnesota import who is a very undersized Three, if you can call him that. However, anytime you finish as your states all-time leader in 3-pointers and in steals alike, you Sir are doing something right. Kyle has yet to adjust to the D-1 game, and his numbers are pretty paltry right about now; 2 ppg, 3.6 rebounds on no better than .333% shooting from anywhere on the court says so. Brandon is a Cali’ small-conference sized legit big or 6’7’’ Center who might be a S/F anywhere else. Holcomb gets you 5 points and rebounds alike; although he does lead the way in blocks at 1.3 swats per.

Radford Bench: (depth=3)

1. Kion Brown: tallest and biggest Highlander at 6’8’’ and 215 lbs. Experienced Fork Union Richmond kid, who gets a lotta bunnies and put-backs from 8.5 ppg on 62% with 3.8 boards thrown in for good measure.
2. Rashun Davis: very reliable back-up Pt.Guard who was all-Big South freshman team last year. Pickpocket who can pass, and his 10.2 ppg in relief don’t hurt either!
3. Allen Dickerson: homegrown industrious kid who has been hampered by injuries career long. 6 ppg on 52% from range however does not suck.

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Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:
This game really only is code for Ichabod Crane vs. himself vs. Sominex sleep-aid. As this one sure looks like one sleepy looking 2pm tip-off inside a deserted Cassell Coliseum to me. In actuality, days like that do not actually favor the home-team. Too much turkey, too much dressing and too much gravy; with not enough juice, chi, or energy in Chinese; on what could very well be an afternoon where the only stuffing will be on break-away-dunks or in belly’s of most of the participants and fans alike.

***

Still yet, can Radford upset what will no doubt be a sluggish, drowsy and lethargic looking Virginia Tech at home? Yes, the Highlanders do have some shooters who could possibly keep them in this one, at least for a while, if they are lighting it up like that Christmas tree that you are about to go digging for at home. That being said, this is one puny looking post team and if Raines, Cee.Jay, et al don’t have a field-day down-low, they never will. At least not in 2013-2014 pre-A.c.c. terms.

As these Highlanders just look too small, as in small conference and in terms of roster size alike to me. Virginia Tech may sleep-walk a bit here; though I doubt Radford will prove to be too alarming and be able to wake the Hokies up with an upsetting yawning festival of a basketball game on tap.

Virginia Tech=76, Radford=54

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**