Radford Basketball

The Radford Highlanders punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament via the team's biggest shot of the season to date. 

With the score of Sunday's Big South Championship Game between Radford and the Liberty Flames tied at 52, Highlanders guard Carlik Jones dribbled the clock down to under two seconds before hoisting a three-pointer. 

The freshman drained it as time expired, giving the Highlanders a 55-52 victory and a spot in the NCAA tournament as the home fans at Dedmon Center erupted. 

Jones' collegiate career is still young, but he may never hit a more important shot. 

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It may sound far fetched to even entertain the idea that Radford University (2-0) can even contend with SEC heavyweight South Carolina.  However, Kennesaw State just recently knocked off Georgia Tech,  and Wake Forest was recently drubbed by mid-major Virginia Commonwealth University.  So, let's dream for a few moments shall we?

First, let's take a look at the beast that Radford is up against.  Last season, South Carolina went through a season of growing pains.  The Gamecocks were inconsistent to say the least.  They won games in dramatic fashion against No. 1 Kentucky and No.19 Vanderbilt.  However, they also took an embarrassing loss at the hands of Wofford and eventually finished out the season at 15-16.

Two games into the season, this looks like this year could be a very different story for South Carolina.  They opened up the year with an impressive 94-79 victory over Elon.   They followed that performance with a nine-point loss at current No. 2 Michigan State. While South Carolina took a loss, they showed great skill and determination against an inferior opponent.  They absolutely refused to go away, and it wasn't until the final minutes that Michigan State had sealed a home victory.

South Carolina presents a very balanced attack.  

Freshman, Bruce Ellington leads a feisty guard game.  He showed the ability to shoot the three-pointer under pressure against Michigan State where he led all scores with 22 points.  At 6'9", senior, Sam Muldrow provides a fantastic interior presence for the Gamecocks.  He dropped 20 points against Elon while going 8-13 from the field.

However, South Carolina does present a major weakness.  Early in the season, the Gamecocks are just 56 percent from the free-throw line.  Radford may have an advantage in a smash mouth, aggressive-style game.  Through two games, the Highlanders have shot 61 percent from the field.

At 2-0, the Highlanders struggled to get what should have been easy wins over Division III opponents, Emory and Henry and Methodist.  However, these aren't the same Highlanders that won the 2009 Big South Championship and went on to face North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.  Radford lost four of five starters and are rebuilding their starting line up.  Hopefully, after two games under their belt and some solid practice time, the Highlanders will have started to gel.  

So far, two players have stood out early for Radford.  Senior point guard, Jeremy Robinson, has played phenomenally for the Highlanders.  He has shown that he has the ability to manage the game and make plays all game long.  He specializes in finding the open man, but he has the ability to drive the ball inside and make huge plays on defense.  Robinson currently averages 9.5 points and four assists per game.  He has really started to become an impact player for the Highlanders.  

Another great surprise for the Highlanders has been the phenomenal play of redshirt freshman, Tommy Spagnolo.  At 6'7", 210 lbs, Spagnolo bears a striking resemblance to former All Big South member Joey Lynch-Flohr.   Spagnolo doesn't just look like his old teammate.  He plays like him as well.  Spagnolo looks almost Lynch-Flohr like in the way that he crashes the boards for rebounds, dunks the basketball and wows the crowd with an all too familiar jump hook shot.  Spagnolo is currently providing a much needed inside presence for the Highlanders while averaging 14.5 points per game and eight rebounds. This is a hard working kid that plays all out like each game is his last.  

While it would be very easy to project Radford to lose this game 105-62, I like to think differently.  I believe that the Highlanders have the ability to go into a hostile environment and stun the Gamecocks in a thrilling 75-70 win.  

Here's to the underdog! 

The eighth installment of the Players to Watch segment, this time featuring the Big South Conference.

David Singleton, High Point Panthers

David Singleton, now a sophomore for the Panthers, had a stellar freshman season.  In limited minutes, Singleton put up six points, four rebounds, and five assists per game.  His great passing ability landed him at second in the Big South in total assists, behind Amir Johnson of Radford.

This season Singleton has not received as much playing time, but don't let that take away from his talent.  He's showed with the time he has gotten that he is still valuable, with a seven assist performance against Presbyterian in only 14 minutes.

Hopefully, Singleton starts to see some more action this season as he has shown he has what it takes.  This season in a game against Hampden, Singleton put up an impressive 10 points, two rebounds, four assists, and six steals.  Talk about filling up a stat-line.

Those six steals were not a fluke either, as Singleton finished fourth in total steals in the Big South last season.  Do not forget Singleton is only a sophomore.  Look for him to develop nicely over the next three years for the Panthers.

Joseph Harris, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

This season has been a coming out party for Harris and the Chanticleers.  Harris is averaging a double-double and Coastal Carolina is leading the Big South.

Harris, a fifth-year senior, is continuing right where he left off in a great season last year.  He is currently averaging 17 points per game, along with 11 rebounds and two steals per game.

He has put up many impressive performances this season, including a stellar game against the College of Charleston, where he dropped 21 points, grabbed 17 boards, and gathered four steals.  The only thing worrisome about Harris is how he performs against big time teams, which could be troublesome since the Chanticleers have a good shot at going dancing this year.

In Coastal Carolina's game against Duke this season, Harris only scored six points and brought in seven rebounds.  Coastal Carolina has not faced any other sizable opponents past the game against the Blue Devils for Harris to test the waters.  However, a game to watch will be on January 14 against Radford and the next "player to watch."

Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford Highlanders

Parakhouski, a senior center for Radford from Belarus, has budded into one of the best players in the Big South.  Last season, Parakhouski led the Big South in total rebounds, averaging 11 per game.  This season, Parakhouski has surpassed that average, now pulling in over 13 boards a game.

To complement his excellent rebounding ability, he's also adding 23 points per game.  No big deal really.  He has been so impressive that he has scored in double digits in all of Radford's 11 games, and he had a double-double in nine of those games.  He is a real gem in a small conference.

Parakhouski has had two particularly excellent games this season, one showcasing his rebounding ability, while the other showcases his scoring ability.  In a loss to Duquesne, Parakhouski grabbed 20 rebounds, and added 26 points.  In more of a scoring performance in win over George Mason, he led the Highlanders with 34 points and 12 rebounds.

And don't think that Parakhouski is only good because he plays inferior competition.  He is truly a talented player.  When Radford faced Duke this season, Parakhouski lit the Blue Devils up for 23 points and 14 rebounds, even though Radford lost big.

Oh, and did I mention that Parakhouski finished fourth in scoring and third in blocking last season in all of the Big South, and is currently leading the conference in scoring and rebounding.  Yeah, this kid is the real deal.

It almost seemed like something out of a dream for the Radford Highlanders basketball team (21-11). 

Just five months ago, the Radford student body was storming the court of the Dedmon Center after being crowned Big South Champions by virtue of defeating the VMI Cadets 108-94 in the final game of the tournament. 

The Highlanders earned an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in school history where they would face ACC powerhouse North Carolina Tarheels (34-4) in the first round. 

Unfortunately for Radford, the Tarheels dashed any hope the Highlanders had for an upset with a 101-58 drubbing. 

North Carolina was clearly the better team in almost every aspect of the game in size, depth, and talent. They went on to beat the likes of LSU, Gonzaga, Oklahoma, Villanova, and Michigan State en route to becoming the 2009 NCAA Tournament Champions.

Radford lacked any depth past their starting five and had no answer for North Carolina's  All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough. They also lacked the experience of playing the top tier NCAA basketball teams that North Carolina saw on a regular basis. 

A majority of Radford's wins came in the lowly Big South where they went a conference best 13-3. However, this season's schedule brings hope for Radford to improve on last year's success.

The Highlanders will be well battle tested on the road as they will play three games against national powerhouses Duke, Louisville, and Kansas. They will also play host to George Mason, who was voted by several publications as the No. 1 non-BCS recruiting class for the 2009-2010 season.

The Highlanders will also host an ESPN Bracket Buster late in the season. A potential upset in any of these games could bolster Radford's seeding and at large hopes for the 2010 NCAA Tournament. 

If nothing else, the experience that Radford will gain from playing teams of this caliber will help them to win the Big South Tournament and earn an automatic tournament bid. 

Radford looks to be the clear favorite to win the Big South in 2010. They will return four of five starters. Amoung them, is senior center and Big South Player of the Year, Artsiom Parakhouski. 

After transferring in from an Idaho community college, the 6'11 Belorussian has become a monster inside the paint. Last year, Parakowski averaged 16.2 points per game. He proved to be the deciding factor in the Big South Championship game where he scored 26 points and added 18 rebounds. 

Parkowski followed that effort with another 10 point and 10 rebound double double in their NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina.

The Highlander community is also very excited about the signing of junior point guard Jeremy Robinson. Robinson is a 5'10, 170-pound guard that who is coming off of his second season at Tallahassee Community College where he started 31 contests. 

In 2007, Robinson led Northwestern High to the Baltimore City Championship. He was rated as the 38th best prospect in the class of 2007 by Mid-Atlantic Hoops, and was also named to the Baltimore City All-Star team.

Radford will tip off the 2009-2010 against Navy at the Dedmon Center at 7 pm on November 13. 

Surprisingly enough, this game may be the best chance for a 16-seed to beat a one-seed. Although North Carolina may have the most talent in the NCAA, as they return a whole team that went to the Final Four a year ago, the Tar Heels are still vulnerable.

So will the Tar Heels be the first No. 1 team to fall?

(1) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (16) Radford Highlanders

The Highlanders are the only 16-seed who actually won both their conference's regular season and tournament titles, so we know they can play. They don't have much of a bench, but they do have four players that score in double figures.

They beat Virginia Military Institute, one of the most electric offenses in America, twice. So at least they'll know what hit them when the Tar Heels score. Kenny Thomas can hit threes when he's on. Let's just say he's got to be on.

Their inside presence should be able to contain Hansbrough enough to prevent him from taking over the game. The good news down low is that Radford rebounds at a clip of just over 41 rebounds per game.

The fact of the matter is North Carolina is probably the most talented team in the nation. The chances of them getting upset, even if they play poorly are pretty much nil.

But this season is the season of slim possibilities, and the Highlanders will be praying for a miracle. Besides, Tar Heels point guard and ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson will most likely miss this first-round game because of a toe injury.

Any logical human being would not predict a 16-seed to beat a one-seed. It's the most basic rule of March Madness to take the top seeds to at least the second round.

But I'm not logical, and I've got a certain "madness" when it comes to prediction.

The odds of nailing this are stacked overwhelmingly against me, and I'm going to get heat for this, but ladies and gentleman, you heard it from me.

I mean, there's no point in predicting a close win for the one-seed, so you gotta have some imagination.

Final Score

Radford 88,  UNC 87

Ok, I lied.  I don't really have 1,311 reasons that the Tar Heels will win it all this year.  In fact, I don't even have 11 reasons.  And I don't need them.  All you need to know is that if Ty Lawson is healthy, this UNC squad will still be standing when all the other teams have been sent home.

After last year's embarrassing 84-66 loss in the Final Four to Kansas, it looked as though the window of opportunity had closed.  In a span of just a few days, Lawson, Danny Green, and Wayne Ellington all threw their name in the hat for the NBA draft. 

But, after testing the waters and assessing their draft status, all three decided to return to Chapel Hill to make another run at the national title.

Fast forward to 2009.  Instead of facing teams like the Celtics, Suns, or Spurs, these almost-pros will be taking on the likes of the Highlanders.  That's right.  The Radford Highlanders from the Big South Conference. 

Good news, bad news for Radford.  Good news:  They have a chance to face the winner or LSU/Butler in the second round of the tournament.  Bad news: In order to do so they must face a Final Four team returning its 5 leading scorers, including the ACC player of the year, Ty Lawson.

Radford boasts a 21-11 record, which is pretty good considering they started off the year at 4-9.  The bright spot for Radford lies in their frontcourt.  Artsiom Parakhouski, a 6'11'' center, averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds a game, while winning Big South player of the year honors.

The biggest challenge for Radford will be keeping up long enough for Parakhouski to matter.

The Tar Heels average a blistering 91.2 points per game.  And the ignitor for that pace is none other than Lawson.  After sitting out the ACC tournament last weekend, Lawson and his swollen big toe should be ready to run.

The matchup problems for the Highlanders aren't just in the frontcourt.  The backcourt of senior Kenny Thomas and junior Amir Johnson average 33 and 36 minutes a game, respectively.  Which means the pace Lawson will set, eventually will wear them down.

And as long as Lawson is healthy, you will continue to see the Tar Heels push the ball at every opportunity.  Look for Carolina to go inside to Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson forcing Parakhouski to play both ends of the floor without getting into foul trouble.

The matchup bodes well for the Heels to get out to an early lead and never look back.  If for some reason Lawson is unable to go in the first round, you should still see the Tar Heels make it through to face the winner of the Butler/LSU game.

If Butler finds a way past LSU, the matchup is really good on paper for North Carolina.  While Butler has quick guards and shoot 3's in bunches, they don't really have the talent inside to matchup with the bigs from UNC. 

Also, the inexperience of the Bulldogs wouldn't help their chances with a tournament foe like senior-laden Carolina, especially playing in Greensboro.  Butler only returns one starter from last year's tournament team and starts two freshman.

LSU, on the other hand, would be a much more difficult challenge.  They are an extremely athletic, up-tempo team that would love to get out and run with the Heels. 

They also out rebound their opponents by an average of 5.5 boards a game, which provides them lots of second chance opportunities.

Led by high scoring guard Marcus Thornton and forward Tasmin Mitchell, the Tigers of LSU have shown the talent to play with the best in the country.

Thornton is touted by some to be this year's Stephan Curry.  The type of player to take a team on his back deep into the tournament.

The consolation for the Tar Heels, no matter who they play, is the fact that Ty Lawson has had over a week to rest that big toe.  And as long as he is the one handling the ball for Carolina, you won't even need to consider the other 1,310 reasons.  Just go ahead and buy your tickets to the championship game and enjoy the ride.

This past Saturday, Radford University clinched the Big South regular season Conference Championship, and has made a case to make the NCAA as an automatic bid as long as it finishes taking care of business during the Big South conference tournament.

I congratulate my university on their accomplishments, and I have been awaiting the year I would finally get to see my alma mater in the NCAA Tournament. I've longed to be able to just fill out that one bracket where I have a No. 15 seed make the Sweet 16 (just in case my Highlanders makes that Mason improbable run).

But, will it happen?  I have my fingers crossed, but am skeptical of my alma mater just because they have let me down time and time again. After watching them have a shot of winning 20 games by season's end, winning 13 of its last 14 (and eight straight), and watching how coach Brad Greenberg (Yes, older brother of the Hokies' Seth) has finally got this team playing like a team, I feel this is our year.  To see the Highlanders in the tournament and to hear Clark Kellogg do a profile of the college I attended is something I am getting antsy about.

Just two games remain in the regular season. Those two home games are against High Point and our rival, Liberty. Winning the final two will be crucial to helping us achieve the dream.  

Going into the Big South Tournament with home court advantage and a 10-game win streak is exactly what I think will get the job done for RU and the Highlander Nation.

I am not jumping the gun—I know our ticket isn't completely punched yet.  But this team finished seventh in the Big South last year and now making its run.  

Bring on Winthrop, High Point, VMI—whoever the Big South wants to throw at the Highlanders, because I will be watching on March 7 when Radford is the first team to punch its ticket for the dance.

Dread the Red Highlanders.  I'll see you in the tournament!