WEF'S 09-10 BIG SOUTH BASKETBALL PREVIEW - PT 10: RU
Posted: November 11th, 2009, 8:05 pm
Radford Highlanders
(Last Season: 21-12 overall; 15-3 in Big South, 1st, won Big South Tournament, lost in first round of the NCAA tournament)
Head Coach: Brad Greenberg
Returning Players (with stats from 08-09 season):
C Artsiom Parakhouski, sr. (6-11, 260) – 16.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 53.7 FG%, 0 made threes, 65.5 FT% - 31.3 min/game
F Joey Lynch-Flohr, sr. (6-8, 221) – 13.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 52.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 72.1 FT% - 29.7 min/game
G Amir Johnson, sr. (5-9, 193) – 9.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.5 spg, 39.5 FG%, 36.9 3PT% (41 made threes), 70.8 FT% - 36.3 min/game
F Phillip Martin, sr. (6-6, 190) – 4.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 46.8 FG%, 40.0 3PT% (8 made threes), 56.0 FT% - 20.4 min/game
G Cole Wilder, sr. (6-1, 180) – 0.7 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 14.3 FG%, 0 made threes, 80.0 FT% - 2.4 min/game – Played in 14 games
G Daniel Mitchell, so. (6-3, 185) – 0.4 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 28.6 FG%, 20.0 3PT% (1 made three), 0 made FTs – 1.9 min/game – Played in 14 games
Players that are Gone:
G Kenny Thomas (6-3, 182) – 14.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.3 spg, 41.9 FG%, 38.7 3PT% (79 made threes), 73.6 FT% - 33.4 min/game
F Chris McEachin (6-5, 181) – 8.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.3 spg, 44.4 FG%, 28.6 3PT% (12 made threes), 65.5 FT% - 22.4 min/game
F Eric Hall (6-8, 203) – 4.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 47.9 FG%, 0 made threes, 63.9 FT% - 16.7 min/game
G Martell McDuffy (6-4, 187) – 11.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.1 spg, 41.7 FG%, 36.4 3PT% (20 made threes), 64.1 FT% - 30.8 min/game – Played in 13 games
G Aaron Austin (6-3, 195) – 1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 31.3 FG%, 0 made threes, 64.3 FT% - 8.4 min/game – Played in 12 games
F Jamar Jenkins (6-6, 217) – 1.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 22.7 FG%, 15.4 3PT% (2 made threes), 60.0 FT% - 5.1 min/game – Played in 12 games
F Nick McFarlin (6-7, 217) – 2.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 80.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 60.0 FT% - 9.6 min/game – Played in 5 games
Newcomers:
F Lazar Trifunovic, jr. (6-8, 225) – Transfer from Binghamton – 07-08 stats: 14.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 46.4 FG%, 0 made threes, 69.5 FT% - 30.7 min/game
G Jeremy Robinson, jr. (5-10, 170) – JuCo transfer
G Evan Faulkner, fr. (6-1, 175)
F Jamal Curry, fr. (6-8, 190)
G Blake Smith, fr. (6-4, 175)
G Michael Wooten, fr. (6-2, 165)
G Gorkem Sonmez, fr. (6-5, 215)
F Tolga Cerrah, fr. (6-9, 190)
F Tommy Spagnolo, fr. (6-7, 210)
About the Highlanders:
If you were to take a time machine back to New Year’s Day of this past year, you would have never believed me if I told you that Radford would end up winning the Big South in 2009. At that point, the Highlanders were 1-9 versus Division I opponents (though they were 1-1 in conference games) and Martell McDuffy, one of their top scorers, was about to be suspended, then dismissed from the team by head coach Brad Greenberg. However, once the calendar switched to 2009, Radford turned a corner and dominated their Big South opponents (winning 17 of their next 19 games) on the way to the NCAA tournament. With a core group of senior starters returning, a return to the NCAAs could await the Highlanders this season as well.
There have been very few (if any) Big South teams in the past that have had a frontcourt with the overall size and skill that the Highlanders will have with their starting forwards and center. And it all starts with senior center Artsiom Parakhouski. As a JuCo transfer last season, Parakhouski was expected to be a solid player for Radford, but I doubt many people foresaw him becoming the conference’s Player of the Year. He has the size alone to dominate in the paint (especially against many of the smallish centers in the league), but he has good hands, solid footwork, and can score on more than just dunks. Considering that he is still relatively new to competitive basketball, an increase in production and skill level this season would not be surprising. Due to his size and potential, NBA scouts will definitely be in attendance at many of Parakhouski’s games. Senior Joey Lynch-Flohr and junior transfer Lazar Trifunovic will flank Parakhouski up front. Lynch-Flohr has been a constant in the paint for his entire career at Radford, and he is a tough match-up for opponents due to his strength and physical style of play. While not as physically dominant as Parakhouski, Lynch-Flohr is just as capable of putting up big scoring or rebounding numbers on any given night. Trifunovic transferred to Radford from Binghamton, and comes in with plenty of hype after being a third-team all-conference player when he was with the Bearcats. A broken wrist will keep him out of the lineup for the first few weeks of the season, but he will be back before a bulk of the conference games are played. When those three are not in the game, there will be a pretty significant drop in production. Senior Phillip Martin is a hard working veteran of the program and will chip in at the small forward and shooting guard spots, but his contributions generally do not show up in the box score. Freshmen Jamal Curry, Tommy Spagnolo, and Tolga Cerrah will add a bit of depth, though do not be surprised if one of them (most likely Cerrah) gets redshirted. Even if he does not redshirt, Cerrah is possibly facing an early-season suspension due to his involvement with professional players overseas.
While the frontcourt of the Highlanders will get most of the headlines, another key reason why Radford is favored to win the conference is due to senior point guard Amir Johnson. His status over the summer was up in the air due to an off-the-court legal issue, but the issue was resolved a few months ago, and he will be on the floor when the season starts. Johnson is a bit turnover-prone, but he did average over five assists/game last year, is a good rebounder for his size, and is able to hit open shots if you do not guard him well enough. Expect Johnson to get almost all of the minutes at the point guard spot, but JuCo Jeremy Robinson was brought in to help give Johnson some rest from time-to-time. The problem for the Highlanders is that they do not have any experienced players on the roster fill the two-guard spot. Last season, Kenny Thomas was the shooting guard and was one of the primary reasons why Radford made it to the NCAAs. If the Highlanders want to return to the Dance, they will need someone to emerge to be a perimeter threat like Thomas was. Freshman Evan Faulkner is the most likely option to fill Thomas’ shoes. He possesses a very strong outside shot and is also good at distributing the ball. Other options at the two include freshmen Blake Smith, Michael Wooten, and Gorkem Sonmez. Smith has good size and a strong defensive mindset that could help him see the court quite a bit. Wooten is a likely redshirt candidate, and Sonmez will likely be suspended for a few games early in the year, but he should be able to chip in at the two-guard and small forward spots when he returns.
The size and skill of Radford’s frontcourt alone makes the Highlanders a favorite going into this season. If Johnson can get some consistent help in the backcourt, then Radford becomes a heavy favorite. The key for this team is to realize that as the favorite, they will get everybody else’s best shot. The Highlanders’ ability to handle that could be as important as anything else for them this season. Reducing turnovers and finding some reliable players coming off the bench will help a lot as well.
My Prediction:
20-9 overall, 14-4 in conference – 1st place finish – win Big South Tournament – lose in 1st round of NCAA tournament
(Last Season: 21-12 overall; 15-3 in Big South, 1st, won Big South Tournament, lost in first round of the NCAA tournament)
Head Coach: Brad Greenberg
Returning Players (with stats from 08-09 season):
C Artsiom Parakhouski, sr. (6-11, 260) – 16.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 53.7 FG%, 0 made threes, 65.5 FT% - 31.3 min/game
F Joey Lynch-Flohr, sr. (6-8, 221) – 13.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 52.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 72.1 FT% - 29.7 min/game
G Amir Johnson, sr. (5-9, 193) – 9.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.5 spg, 39.5 FG%, 36.9 3PT% (41 made threes), 70.8 FT% - 36.3 min/game
F Phillip Martin, sr. (6-6, 190) – 4.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 46.8 FG%, 40.0 3PT% (8 made threes), 56.0 FT% - 20.4 min/game
G Cole Wilder, sr. (6-1, 180) – 0.7 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 14.3 FG%, 0 made threes, 80.0 FT% - 2.4 min/game – Played in 14 games
G Daniel Mitchell, so. (6-3, 185) – 0.4 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 28.6 FG%, 20.0 3PT% (1 made three), 0 made FTs – 1.9 min/game – Played in 14 games
Players that are Gone:
G Kenny Thomas (6-3, 182) – 14.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.3 spg, 41.9 FG%, 38.7 3PT% (79 made threes), 73.6 FT% - 33.4 min/game
F Chris McEachin (6-5, 181) – 8.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.3 spg, 44.4 FG%, 28.6 3PT% (12 made threes), 65.5 FT% - 22.4 min/game
F Eric Hall (6-8, 203) – 4.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 47.9 FG%, 0 made threes, 63.9 FT% - 16.7 min/game
G Martell McDuffy (6-4, 187) – 11.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.1 spg, 41.7 FG%, 36.4 3PT% (20 made threes), 64.1 FT% - 30.8 min/game – Played in 13 games
G Aaron Austin (6-3, 195) – 1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 31.3 FG%, 0 made threes, 64.3 FT% - 8.4 min/game – Played in 12 games
F Jamar Jenkins (6-6, 217) – 1.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 22.7 FG%, 15.4 3PT% (2 made threes), 60.0 FT% - 5.1 min/game – Played in 12 games
F Nick McFarlin (6-7, 217) – 2.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 80.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 60.0 FT% - 9.6 min/game – Played in 5 games
Newcomers:
F Lazar Trifunovic, jr. (6-8, 225) – Transfer from Binghamton – 07-08 stats: 14.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 46.4 FG%, 0 made threes, 69.5 FT% - 30.7 min/game
G Jeremy Robinson, jr. (5-10, 170) – JuCo transfer
G Evan Faulkner, fr. (6-1, 175)
F Jamal Curry, fr. (6-8, 190)
G Blake Smith, fr. (6-4, 175)
G Michael Wooten, fr. (6-2, 165)
G Gorkem Sonmez, fr. (6-5, 215)
F Tolga Cerrah, fr. (6-9, 190)
F Tommy Spagnolo, fr. (6-7, 210)
About the Highlanders:
If you were to take a time machine back to New Year’s Day of this past year, you would have never believed me if I told you that Radford would end up winning the Big South in 2009. At that point, the Highlanders were 1-9 versus Division I opponents (though they were 1-1 in conference games) and Martell McDuffy, one of their top scorers, was about to be suspended, then dismissed from the team by head coach Brad Greenberg. However, once the calendar switched to 2009, Radford turned a corner and dominated their Big South opponents (winning 17 of their next 19 games) on the way to the NCAA tournament. With a core group of senior starters returning, a return to the NCAAs could await the Highlanders this season as well.
There have been very few (if any) Big South teams in the past that have had a frontcourt with the overall size and skill that the Highlanders will have with their starting forwards and center. And it all starts with senior center Artsiom Parakhouski. As a JuCo transfer last season, Parakhouski was expected to be a solid player for Radford, but I doubt many people foresaw him becoming the conference’s Player of the Year. He has the size alone to dominate in the paint (especially against many of the smallish centers in the league), but he has good hands, solid footwork, and can score on more than just dunks. Considering that he is still relatively new to competitive basketball, an increase in production and skill level this season would not be surprising. Due to his size and potential, NBA scouts will definitely be in attendance at many of Parakhouski’s games. Senior Joey Lynch-Flohr and junior transfer Lazar Trifunovic will flank Parakhouski up front. Lynch-Flohr has been a constant in the paint for his entire career at Radford, and he is a tough match-up for opponents due to his strength and physical style of play. While not as physically dominant as Parakhouski, Lynch-Flohr is just as capable of putting up big scoring or rebounding numbers on any given night. Trifunovic transferred to Radford from Binghamton, and comes in with plenty of hype after being a third-team all-conference player when he was with the Bearcats. A broken wrist will keep him out of the lineup for the first few weeks of the season, but he will be back before a bulk of the conference games are played. When those three are not in the game, there will be a pretty significant drop in production. Senior Phillip Martin is a hard working veteran of the program and will chip in at the small forward and shooting guard spots, but his contributions generally do not show up in the box score. Freshmen Jamal Curry, Tommy Spagnolo, and Tolga Cerrah will add a bit of depth, though do not be surprised if one of them (most likely Cerrah) gets redshirted. Even if he does not redshirt, Cerrah is possibly facing an early-season suspension due to his involvement with professional players overseas.
While the frontcourt of the Highlanders will get most of the headlines, another key reason why Radford is favored to win the conference is due to senior point guard Amir Johnson. His status over the summer was up in the air due to an off-the-court legal issue, but the issue was resolved a few months ago, and he will be on the floor when the season starts. Johnson is a bit turnover-prone, but he did average over five assists/game last year, is a good rebounder for his size, and is able to hit open shots if you do not guard him well enough. Expect Johnson to get almost all of the minutes at the point guard spot, but JuCo Jeremy Robinson was brought in to help give Johnson some rest from time-to-time. The problem for the Highlanders is that they do not have any experienced players on the roster fill the two-guard spot. Last season, Kenny Thomas was the shooting guard and was one of the primary reasons why Radford made it to the NCAAs. If the Highlanders want to return to the Dance, they will need someone to emerge to be a perimeter threat like Thomas was. Freshman Evan Faulkner is the most likely option to fill Thomas’ shoes. He possesses a very strong outside shot and is also good at distributing the ball. Other options at the two include freshmen Blake Smith, Michael Wooten, and Gorkem Sonmez. Smith has good size and a strong defensive mindset that could help him see the court quite a bit. Wooten is a likely redshirt candidate, and Sonmez will likely be suspended for a few games early in the year, but he should be able to chip in at the two-guard and small forward spots when he returns.
The size and skill of Radford’s frontcourt alone makes the Highlanders a favorite going into this season. If Johnson can get some consistent help in the backcourt, then Radford becomes a heavy favorite. The key for this team is to realize that as the favorite, they will get everybody else’s best shot. The Highlanders’ ability to handle that could be as important as anything else for them this season. Reducing turnovers and finding some reliable players coming off the bench will help a lot as well.
My Prediction:
20-9 overall, 14-4 in conference – 1st place finish – win Big South Tournament – lose in 1st round of NCAA tournament