Rick Sampson - A Dream Becoming Reality

[rsampson2999]

Rick Sampson’s Dream Comes True

RICHMOND (AP) – Two days after coaching John F Tyler High School to their second consecutive championship, Rick Sampson’s dream of becoming a college coach appears to become a reality.

When he woke up at 7 a.m. for his morning jog before heading to the school, he received a phone call from Radford Highlander’s athletic director Dan Sterling. Sampson knew that one day he would receive a call from a school inquiring about his services to become their new basketball coach. The one thing that Samspon didn’t believe would happen was that his first job would be for a Division I school. Not only that, but that he would be able to state in the state that he grew up in and a place where he wanted to spend the rest of his life in.

“When I heard that it was Radford calling me, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t grinning from ear-to-ear. I couldn’t have had for a better opportunity to get my college coaching career started.” Sampson said.

While he leaves the athletic-friendly John F Tyler High School, he knows that this is what he wants and needed. Sampson continued on, saying “I hate leaving John F Tyler. I really and truly do. I just feel that I couldn’t pass this opportunity up. It’s so great for my family and friends. I already spoke with my players here and they are supporting me 100 percent.”

Sampson is known for his extensive training and conditioning. He spends the majority of his practice preaching defense. “Defense wins championships. Although, throwing in a little offense won’t hurt,” Sampson said, grinning, obviously showing the signs that he’s committed to this school.

At Radford, he will definitley be facing a challenge. The Panthers went 10-20 (5-10 in the Big South) during the 2006-2007 season. In the upcoming season, the Highlanders will be facing some major challenges, including Michigan, Air Force, Georgetown, and West Virginia. Sampson doesn’t seem to be scared.

“As coaches, we live for games against the best. I know that I am going to be preparing my kids each and every day. I think Radford is going to surprise some people this year.”

[rsampson2999]

Season Schedule

Nov 9 - @ Michigan
Nov 11 - @ E. Michigan
Nov 17 - Gardner Webb
Nov 19 - @ Air Force
Nov 24 - @ Campbell
Dec 3 - Gardner Webb
Dec 8 - Campbell
Dec 15 - @ Georgetown
Dec 17 - @ James Madison
Dec 19 - West Virginia
Jan 2 - @ South Carolina
Jan 12 - @ Coastal Carolina
Jan 14 - @ Charleston Southern
Jan 19 – Winthrop
Jan 23 - @ UNC Asheville
Jan 28 – High Point
Feb 2 – Liberty
Feb 5 - @ VMI
Feb 9 – Charleston Southern
Feb 11 – Coastal Carolina
Feb 16 - @ Winthrop
Feb 20 – UNC Asheville
Feb 23 – VMI
Feb 27 - @ High Point
Mar 1 - @ Liberty

Bold = Conference Games

Schedule Analysis - Granted, playing Georgetown and West Virginia are going to be the hardest teams that I'll be playing, but also Air Force and Michigan will be difficult to beat. South Carolina and Eastern Michigan are decent teams, but definitley beatable. Conference wise, UNC Asheville, Winthrop, and VMI could both present problems for my teams. UNC Asheville and VMI have big men that could end up dominating my team.

Prediction - 7-4 out of conference (loss @ Michigan, @ Air Force, @ Georgetown, and West Virginia), 9-5 in conference (loss Winthrop, @ UNC-A, @ VMI, @ Winthrop, VMI)

Game Vitals
Minutes - 12 per half
Difficulty - MOP
Sliders - Default

[rsampson2999]

Roster

PG – Amir Johnson – 65 overall, 5’9’’, 193, sophomore*
SF – Jamar Jenkins – 64 overall, 6’6’’, 217, junior*
SG – Kenny Thomas – 61 overall, 6’3’’, 182, junior*
PF – Alex Gynes – 60 overall, 6’6’’, 220, freshman*
SG – Chris McEachin – 59 overall, 6’5’’, 181, freshman
SG – Martell McDuffy – 59 overall, 6’4’’, 187, junior
PF – Nick McFarlin – 57 overall, 6’7’’, 217, freshman
SF – Eric Hall – 55 overall, 6’8’’, 203, junior
C – Colby Trent – 52 overall, 6’8’’, 278, senior*
C – Joey Lynch-Flohr – 50 overall, 6’8’’, 221, sophomore
C – Duane Ricks – 50 overall, 6’9’’, 190, senior
SG – Philip Martin – 49 overall, 6’6’’, 190, sophomore

* = starter

Team Analysis: Amir Johnson will have to be the leader if my team is going to have any success in the first season. Luckily, four out of my five starters will be back the next year, so this could be a work-in-progress. My lone starting senior, Colby Trent, is a beast. He doesn't have the height that you would want out of a center, but he will be able to bash down low with some of the other big centers from the Big South. Trent and Gynes both play good around the basket, while Jenkins, Thomas, and Johnson are decent from the outside. Coming off the bench, my key player is going to be McEachin. He's a pretty good shooter to have as the 6th man, and he can also play some good defense.

[rsampson2999]

(0-0) Radford at Michigan (0-0)

Trying to get back to dominate status, Michigan survives a scare

DETROIT (AP) – When new coach Rick Sampson took over at Radford University, many people didn’t know what to expect. Would he build up a program that has been struggling for years….or would he turn it around? Well, after the first game, you might just have to think the latter. His team battled a tough Michigan team that definitley had the home crowd into the game.

The Highlanders jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, but led by Jarrett Smith 6 quick points, the Wolverines led 14-9 after the first four minutes. Before halftime, Sampson took a timeout when it looked like his team wasn’t going to lose it. Down 24-23, Eric Halla and Duane Ricks made back to back dunks to give the Highlanders a 27-24 lead. At halftime, the score was 31-28, in favor of Radford.

Smith led the Wolverines with 10 points at the break, while Ricks kept the Highlanders in the lead with his 6 crucial points. The second half was just as exciting, if not more exciting, than the first. Kenny Thomas put Radford up 38-30 with a 22 foot 3-pointer that quieted the crowd. They led by as many as 10 before the Wolverines finally got it going. Manny Harris caught fire and brought the score to a dead-lock at 56 with 4 minutes to go.

The Highlanders played very tough defense, but the critical play came with minute to go. The shot clock was down to 5 seconds when Harris put up a desperation 3, and he missed badly. But Ekpe Udoh was there for the easy put back 60-58 game. With 30 seconds left, Jamar Jenkins made a driving layup over Udoh to bring it to a tie. Michigan then tried to a backdoor layup but was denied by Ricks. Amir Johnson brought the ball up for Radford but with Harris drapped all over him, he threw the ball into the hands of Smith. It was an easy fastbreak layup for Smith with 2.7 seconds left. Kenny Thomas, the Highlanders premier 3-point shooter, got the inbound pass and took it up and attempted a 28-foot 3-pointer but it came up a little short.

The Highlanders fell 62-60 in this heartbreak fashion, but they appear to have a better chance at winning some this year than most people have given them credit for.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Radford 31….29…..60
Michigan 28….34…..62

Player of the Game: Manny Harris – 17 points, 6-12 fgs (0-1 3pt), 5-5 FT

Radford stat Michigan
23/51 FG 28/44
45% FG% 63
2/7 3pt 0/3
28% 3pt% 0
12/13 FT 6/7
92% FT% 86%
16 assists 17
13 turnovers 24
15 rebounds 21
6 off reb 6
19 steals 11
0 blocks 6
36 pts in paint 46
14 fast break pts 22

Top 3 Peformers:

Michigan
Jarrett Smith 12 pts, 5 ast, 6-8 fg, 5 to’s
Manny Harris 17 pts, 6-12 fg, 3 stl
Ekpe Udoh 10 pts, 3 reb, 2 blk, 5-6 fg

Radford
Jamar Jenkins 10 pts, 2 stl, 4 to’s
Nick Mcfarlin 15 pts, 3 stl, 6-12 fg
Duane Ricks 12 pts, 5 reb, 6-12 fg

Up Next: Eastern Michigan (0-1)

[jjredick4]

tough loss to Michigan, at least you hung in there hopefully that's good news for the rest a the season

[Auburnman12]

Its going 2 be tough. I did a career legacy with Charleston Southern and I stayed their for 4 years. We ended up 9-0 against radford.(I had an amazing bigman from recruiting.)

[Jordai]

Don't get caught in a recruiting scandal..

;)

Sampson..

[rsampson2999]

(0-1) Radford at Eastern Michigan (0-1)

For second consecutive game, Radford can't hold halftime lead

DETROIT (AP) – Another double digit lead for Radford goes to waste.

In the second consecutive game, the Radford Highlanders led by more than ten points in the second half, but couldn’t come away with the much needed victory. Their biggest lead was 11 after 3 minutes had gone by in the second half.

At the start of the game, it looked like Radford was going to run away with this one. They started off on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a couple nice post moves from Alex Gynes. Eastern Michigan stormed back on an 18-5 run, with 9 of those points coming from their star, Carlos Medlock. And of course, Radford made another run of there own, leading 33-26 at the break. Gynes led the Highlanders with 9 points, while Medlock countered with 9 of his own as well.

In the second half, Eastern Michigan began to catch fire with about 6 minutes left to go. Down 11, they turned to their other standout player, Jesse Bunkley. Bunkley, finishing with 19 points, made a couple crucial baskets in a row, highlighted by a 3-pointer that gave Eastern Michigan a 2 point lead with 2 minutes to play. With Radford unable to find the basket late in the game, the Eagles took the win with a 68-62 victory.

As for Radford, not all was lost. In the second consecutive game, they received great production from their big men. Gynes, Nick McFarlin, and Duane Ricks combined for 44 of the Highlanders’ 62 points. The Highlanders press worked effective for the second consecutive game, causing the Eagles to turn the ball over 17 times.

The Highlanders have their opening game at home against Gardner-Webb. This should be an easy victory for the Highlanders, but you can never underestimate any college team at this level.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Radford 33….29….62
Eastern Michigan 26….42….68

Player of the Game: Jesse Bunkley – 19 points, 8-14 fg, 2-7 3pt

Radford stat EMU
26/64 FG 28/52
41% FG% 54%
2/16 3pt 5/12
13% 3pt% 42%
8/9 FT 7/8
89% FT% 88%
24 assists 16
9 turnovers 17
21 rebounds 31
4 off rebounds 4
12 steals 7
3 blocks 5
46 pts in paint 40
17 fast break pts 22

Top 3 Performers:

Eastern Michigan
Jesse Bunkley 19 pt, 4 to, 8-14 fg, 2-7 3pt
Carlos Medlock 16 pt, 6 ast, 6-13 fg, 2-3 3pt
Marvin Skipper 12 pt, 13 reb, 3 blk, 5-7 fg

Radford
Alex Gynes 23 pt, 3 reb, 4 stl, 11-15 fg
Nick Mcfarlin 11 pt, 4 reb, 4-14 fg
Duane Ricks 10 pt, 5 reb, 4-8 fg

Up Next: Gardner-Webb (0-1)

[TigerCraig]

How in the heck do you force so many turnovers? I force about 10 a game on 16 minute halves... But i don't press...

[rsampson2999]

How in the heck do you force so many turnovers? I force about 10 a game on 16 minute halves... But i don't press...

I play a 2-3 zone mainly, especially against the weaker teams that lack 3pt shooters. I put the pressure up a little bit and play the passing lanes pretty good. I turn my press on only when my opponent is on a run, just to slow them down....and that usually causes a few turnovers.

[rsampson2999]

(1-1) Gardner-Webb @ Radford (0-2)

Sampson Gets First Win

BLACKSBURG (AP) – Rick Sampson waited three games before getting his first career collegiate victory. In the previous two games, the Radford Highlanders had large leads that evaporated towards the end, resulting in an 0-2 start. This time the role was reversed

The Runnin’ Bulldogs out of Gardner-Webb started hot out of the gate, opening up a 7-0 lead.. The Highlanders continued to play catch-up throughout the first half, with their largest deficit being 11 points. In the first two games, junior Jamar Jenkins had not shown up to play. In the first half of this game, he came on strong with 9 points but the Highlanders still trailed 39-34 at half time. The Runnin’ Bulldogs were shooting an amazing 73% in the first half.

Sampson might have thought that his team was going to just sit there and die. The defensive pressure wasn’t there, and the Bulldogs were making them pay with wide-open jumpers. They led 53-42 before they saw the Highlanders storm back with some good inside play to cut the lead to just 2. A quick timeout was called by the Bulldogs in hopes of restoring order. With four minutes to go in the second half, the game was tied at 68.

Gardner-Webb continued to tear apart the 2-3 zone, causing Sampson to switch to a man-to-man defense. This is why Radford went with Sampson as their head coach. The Highlanders responded, causing multiple turnovers that gave them a 3 point lead with 2 minutes to go. The Highlanders caused four turnovers in the last 2 minutes to easily go on to the victory, 90-81.

Sampson’s first win comes when the opposing team shot an astounding 69%. The difference in the game was the free throw shooting. The Highlanders, obviously showing signs from the extensive free throw shooting they do during practice, connected on all 23 attempts from the line. The Runnin’ Bulldogs managed to just hit 7 out of 14 free throws.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Gardner-Webb….39….42….81
Radford….34…..56…..90

Player of the Game: Alex Gynes - 23 pts (all in 2nd half), 4 reb, 4 ast, 8-13 fg

G-W stat Radford
33/48 FG 32/60
69% FG% 53%
8/11 3pt 3/9
73% 3pt% 33%
7/14 FT 23/23
50% FT% 100%
24 assists 22
18 turnovers 8
18 rebounds 22
3 off reb 8
8 steals 13
3 blocks 1
40 pts in paint 56
16 bench pts 20
8 fast break pts 12

Top 3 Performers:

Radford
Alex Gynes 23 pts (all in 2nd half), 4 reb, 4 ast, 8-13 fg
Nick McFarlin 18 pts, 5 reb, 8-14 fg
Jamar Jenkins 16 pts, 4-7 fg, 2-4 3pt

Gardner-Webb
Matt French 19 pts, 5 ast, 3 stl, 8-8 fg
Nate Blank 16 pts, 3 reb, 6-10 fg
Takayo Siddle 12 pts, 6 ast, 5-8 fg

Up Next: at Air Force (1-1)

[rsampson2999]

(1-2) Radford at Air Force (1-1)

Radford Dominates, Earns 1st Road Win

COLORADO SPRINGS (AP) – From the start, the Radford Highlanders left little in doubt.

Throughout the first half, Highlanders had leads of 9-0, 15-3, 25-12, and 33-18. The huge play of Alex Gynes, 13 points in the first half, and Nick McFarlin, 10 points in the first half, made this one a rout by half time. Radford was leading 44-28 at the break, and it didn’t get much better from then on out for Air Force.

The Falcons found themselves down by as much as 32 in the second half. The 2-3 zone that Radford threw at them was too much to handle, causing 17 turnovers. Another dissapointing area for Air Force was the 3-point shooting. The Falcons could only connect on 3 out of 15 shots from down town, while their opponent shot 50%, making 6 out of 12.

In the end, the Highlanders pulled off the easy 89-59 victory. This was the first road victory in Coach Rick Sampson’s young career, and with the way his team was playing, it shouldn’t be the last. Sampson’s team was led by Amir Johnson, who nearly reached a double-double with 8 points and 10 assists. Strong play for Gynes, 18 points, and McFarlin, 21 points, also helped things out.

Next, the Highlanders play another tough road game, this time against Campbell. They will be looking to do much of the same as they did against Air Force, where they outrebounded, caused more turnovers, had more production from their bench, and more points downlow than the Falcons. Simply, the Falcons were just overmatched.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Radford…44…..45….89
Air Force…30….29…59

Player of the Game: Alex Gynes – 18 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl, 5/9 fg, 8/10 ft

Radford stat Air Force
33/55 FG 26/47
60% FG% 55%
6/12 3pt 3/15
50% 3PT% 20%
17/20 FT 4/5
85% FT& 80&
26 assists 21
5 turnovers 17
24 rebounds 18
8 off rebounds 5
15 steals 4
1 blocks 2
52 pts in paint 40
29 bench pts 12
8 fast break pts 6

Top 3 Performers:

Radford
Amir Johnson 8 pts, 10 ast, 3 stl, 3/3 fg, 2/2 3pt
Alex Gynes 18 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl, 5/9 fg
Nick McFarlin 21 pts, 5 reb, 8/11 fg

Air Force
Tim Anderson 12 pts, 3 ast
Eric Kenzik 14 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl
Andrew Henke 8 pts, 4 reb, 7 ast

Up Next: - At Campbell (2-1)

[CincyFan]

nice win against Air Force. I think your the only one who plays a majority of zone in the game at a small school. Why is it that you don't like man-to-man?

[rsampson2999]

(2-2) Radford at Campbell (2-1)

Radford’s Win Streak Now at 3

BULES CREEK (AP) – The Campbell Fighting Camels were no match for the suddenly streaking Radford Highlanders.

The game started off with many lead changes. First, the Highlanders started off scorching the nets, with Jenkins making the first 7 points of the game. The Camels brought it back to tie it at 22, after being down by as many as 9. Amir Johnson then hit consecutive 3-pointers to build back a 6 point lead for Radford. At the half, the Highlanders were leading by 12 points, 44-32. Alex Gynes and Jamar Jenkins both had 9 points to lead Radford to the commanding lead.

The second half brought the same results. The Highlanders had a good mixture of inside shots and outside shots to extend the lead to as many as 21. The fans quickly began to leave for the exits once the score was 63-42 with 5 minutes to go in the game.

Once again, the defense that Coach Rick Sampson brought into Radford paid huge dividends. The stifling 2-3 matchup zone that he has created made the lives of the Campbell players’ miserable. The defense caused 17 turnovers that turned into countless easy layup for Gynes and Nick McFarlin, who finished with 19 and 11 points, respectively.

Amir Johnson is quietly becoming the leader that Coach Sampson envisioned when he named Johnson the captain. Johnson finished with 12 points and a team-high five assists. He could have had twice that many, but his teammates were unable to finish a couple of easy buckets.

Up next, the Highlanders face Gardner-Webb for the second time this year. In the first matchup, Gardner-Webb lit them up, albeit in a loss, by shooting nearly 70% for the game. The Highlanders’ defense has been playing much better as of late, so you can bet that they will be ready for a little redemption.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Radford…44…..45….89
Campbell…32…41….73

Player of the Game: Alex Gynes – 19 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl, 7/12 fg

Radford stats Campbell
33/62 FG 32/50
53% FG% 64%
9/19 3pt 1/7
47% 3pt% 14%
14/15 FT 8/15
93% FT% 53%
21 assists 19
13 turnovers 17
27 rebounds 22
10 off rebounds 4
17 steals 13
1 blocks 1
40 pts in paint 56
22 bench pts 18
5 fast break pts 34

Top Performers:

Radford
Alex Gynes – 19 pts, 6 rebs, 5 ast, 4 stl, 7/12 fg
Amir Johnnson – 12 pts, 5 ast, 2 stl, 4/6 fg, 4/5 3pt
Nick McFarlin – 11 pts, 9 reb, 3/6 fg

Campbell
Johnathan Rodriguez – 18 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 8/12 fg
Ruelle Pringle – 12 pts, 7 ast, 3 stl, 5/8 fg
Preston Dodson – 14 pts, 7/9 fg

Up Next: At Gardner Webb (2-4)

[rsampson2999]

nice win against Air Force. I think your the only one who plays a majority of zone in the game at a small school. Why is it that you don't like man-to-man?

I always play zone regardless of the team that I am playing with. It's easier to cause turnovers that way. If you're playing against a team like Kansas, Villanova, or a team with great 3-point shooters then it can burn you. But against teams like Air Force, who shot like 1-7 from 3, I just feel like it works in your advantage that way.

[rsampson2999]

(3-2) Radford at Gardner-Webb (2-4)

Radford’s Win Streak Hits 4

BLACKSBURG (AP) – The last time these two teams met, the Runnin’ Bulldogs out of Gardner Webb couldn’t miss. They still ended up losing the game, but Radford knew that they would have to provide better defense if they were going to win at Gardner-Webb. And boy, did they ever.

Radford’s defense caused 20 turnovers in route to an 87-78 victory over the Runnin’ Bulldogs. The first half started with many lead changes and neither team has a lead bigger than 4 points. At the half, it was a 37-33 lead for Radford. Grayson Flittner led the Bulldogs with 12 first half points and Jamar Jenkins led Radford with 10 points.

The second half was a close battle up until the final minutes of the game. Jenkins hit a couple of crucial threes and Kenny Thomas added one to give the Highlanders a 9 point victory. In the first game, the Bulldogs shot nearly 70% from the field, but in the second game, the Highlanders held them to a 57% clip. Once again, the Highlanders received great production from their bench, tallying 25 points, mainly from Duane Ricks. Ricks could become a starter if he continues to play this well.

Alex Gynes, once again, was the teams leading scorer, finishing with 20 points on 9 of 11 shooting from the floor. He’s averaging near 20 points a game and is one of the scoring leaders in the Big South. Amir Johnson, hitting 8 out of his 10 points from the free throw line, continues to show his improvement running the team. He recorded his first double double with 10 points and 12 assists.

Up Next, the Highlanders face another team they have already played once this year, the Campbell Camels.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Radford 37…50…87
Gardner-Webb 33….45…78

Player of the Game: Alex Gynes – 20 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 9/11 fg

Radford stats G-W
32/60 FG 31/54
53% FG% 57%
5/17 3pt 8/16
29% 3pt% 50%
18/22 FT 8/10
82% FT% 80%
23 assists 19
9 turnovers 20
25 rebounds 25
10 off rebounds 6
18 steals 8
2 blocks 1
50 pts in paint 38
25 bench pts 14
16 fast break pts 19

Top 3 Performers:

Gardner-Webb
Matt French 12 pts, 13 ast, 3 stl, 4-5 fg
Grayson Flittner 27 pts 4 ast 10-19 5-10 3pt
Thomas Sanders 8 pts, 7 reb, 3-8 fg

Radford
Amir Johnson 10 pts, 12 ast, 8-10 ft
Jamar Jenkins 16 pts, 5 reb, 7 stl 5-11, 4-8 3pt
Alex Gynes 20 pts 5 reb, 2 ast, 9-11 fg

Up Next: Campbell (2-3)

[Superjames1992]

Nice start. I am following!

I also play zone a lot, though I tend to stick to a 1-3-1 defense mostly. I give up some open threes and can get burned, but overall I like it. I go back to man defense when they are draining threes, though. I also mix it up with a little 2-3 zone and 3-2 zone here and there as well.

Good luck!!!

[rsampson2999]

(2-4) Campbell at Radford (4-2)

Highlanders Continue to Roll

BLACKSBURG (AP) – Before the season start, Coach Rick Sampson knew that his team would have to play great basketball in order to start the season off on a good start. Well, it looks like that’s becoming true. The Radford Highlanders defeated the Campbell Fightin’ Camels by a score of 83-74.

It was a 5 point lead for the Highlanders at the break. They got strong play out of an unknown source in the first half, as Martel McDuffy lead them in scoring with 8 points, including two crucial threes late in the half. Jake Wohlfeil, coming off the bench for Campbell, led them with 13 points.

The second half was a run and gun type of show between these two small schools. The offensive tempo was incredible as teams traded basket for basket up until the latter stages of the game. The Highlanders used a 9-0 run to increase the lead to their largest of the game, 14 points. The Camels used back-to-back threes to cut the lead to 8 with a minute to go, but their was no overcoming this deficit.

Another slow start for Alex Gynes in the first half, but another strong showing in the second. He finished the game with 19 points on 8 of 15 shooting. Ruelle Pringle for Campbell scorched the nets, finishing with 19 of 24 points in the second half.

The Radford Highlanders start the season off at 5-2 and are currently riding a 5-game win streak. The zone defense continues to cause problems for the opposing teams, as the players for the Highlanders have already shown some major improvements in grasping Sampson’s defensive philosophy.

However, up next, the Highlanders face their biggest challenge yet. Roy Hibbert and the Georgetown Hoyas will be looking to squash the Highlanders’ win streak. With Radford’s tallest player being 6’9’’ (Duane Ricks), you should see plenty of Hibbert dunks and blocks in this game.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Campbell….35…39…..74
Radford….40…43…..83

Player of the Game: Alex Gynes – 19 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 8/15 fg

Campbell stats Radford
30/55 FG 31/69
55% FG% 45%
7/16 3pt 7/21
44% 3pt% 33%
7/7 FT 14/18
100% FT% 78%
25 assists 16
15 turnovers 7
26 rebounds 31
4 off rebounds 12
6 steals 15
5 blocks 2
36 pts in paint 48
25 bench pts 29
12 fast brk pts 18

Top 3 Performers:

Radford
Alex Gynes 19 pts 6 reb 4 ast 3 stl 8/15 fg
Nate Mcfarlin 12 pts 4 reb
Martell McDuffy 11 pts

Campbell
Ruelle Pringle 24 pts 10/15 fg
Julius Perkins 2 pts 15 ast
Jake Wohlfeil 15 pts 6/8 fg 2/4 3pt

Up Next: at Georgetown Hoyas (6-1)

[desmin123]

That Georgetown Game will be tough

[rsampson2999]

(5-2) Radford at Georgetown (5-1)

Hibbert, Hoyas Dominate Undersized Highlanders

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Georgetown Hoyas size proved to be entirely too much for the undersized Radford Highlanders. Roy Hibbert was a dominating beast in a 30 point win for the Hoyas.

The game started off close until the last 3 minutes when the Hoyas got on a 9-0 run to lead by 9 at halftime. Hibbert had 13 points at the break and Alex Gynes provided 8 points for Radford. The second half is when it got ugly. The Highlanders quickly went on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 4, but then John Thompson called a quick timeout. And boy, did his team ever respond.

The Hoyas went on an amazing 21-3 run to extend the lead to 19, and it was never in doubt en route to a 89-59 victory. The Highlanders made silly passes that lead to easy fast break points for Georgetown. The Highlanders shot a season-low 37 percent from the floor, 18 percent from downtown, and 58 percent from the free throw line. They came into the game leading the nation at free throw shooting, at nearly 90 percent. The fans for Georgetown obviously made a difference. It’s a little different playing at Georgetown than it is playing at Gardner-Webb and Campbell.

Hibbert led the Hoyas with 24 points and 6 rebounds. His play also caused two major developments in the game. Nick McFarlin, the starting center for the Highlanders, was in foul trouble nearly the entire game and finished with a season-low 3 points. Also, with Hibbert being in there, it forced the Highlanders to shoot more 3’s than they would usually like to. Every shot down low was contested as Hibbert altered many shots by the usually-good interior offense from Radford.

Up next, the Highlanders face an undefeated team in James Madison. This should be more of an equally-matched game than the one that Radford just lost in.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Radford 28….31….59
Georgetown 39…50…89

Radford stats Georgetown
22/60 FG 38/57
37% FG% 67%
4/22 3pt 8/12
18% 3pt% 67%
11/19 FT 5/8
58% FT% 63%
15 assists 27
9 turnovers 15
21 rebounds 33
10 off rebounds 7
13 steals 9
1 blocks 5
32 pts in paint 60
13 bench pts 40
8 fast break pts 20

Top 3 Performers

Georgetown
Roy Hibbert 24 pts 6 reb 11/16 fg
Jonathan Wallace 11 pts 4 reb 7 ast 5/6 fg
Austin Freeman 17 pts 3 reb 4 ast

Radford
Alex Gynes 18 pts 8 reb 4 stl 7/13 fg
Kenny Thomas 13 pts 5/14 fg
Jamar Jenkins 8 pts 3/11 fg

Up Next: James Madison (7-0)

[vikingfan1]

Tough game vs Georgetown! At least you hung with them for a half.

[rsampson2999]

(5-3) Radford Highlanders at James Madison Dukes (7-0)

Highlanders Come Out Strong, Give Dukes First Loss

HARRISONBURG (AP) – The Highlanders came out on fire, and never slowed down.

Radford started the game off on an astonishing 14-3 run and it was downhill from there for the James Madison Dukes. The biggest lead of the first half was 21 points, when Radford led 31-10 with 4 minutes to go. At the break, the Dukes had cut it within 9, 49-40. Joe Posey led the Dukes in the first half with 22 points, with some sharpshooting from the outside. Alex Gynes, once again, led the Highlanders with 15 points at intermission.

In the second half, it wasn’t much of a contest. Any time the Dukes tried to make a run, the Highlanders were there to squash the hopes of victory out from underneath them. The Highlanders extended their lead to 18 before the Dukes, with some more good shooting out of Posey, cut the led to 6 with 2 minutes left in the game. Crucial free throws and a couple made 3 pointers made by Kenny Thomas and Jamar Jenkins finished off the Dukes at 97-83. The Highlanders shot a season-high 68% from the floor and an astonishing 60% from down town.

The Highlanders used great ball handling to take control of the game. With them not causing many turnovers, they used crisp and excellent passes on their way to a season-high 32 assists. Amir Johnson had a season-high 16 of them as he continuously found Gynes and Thomas for easy baskets.

Kenny Thomas shot lights out from downtown, connecting on 6 out of 8 shots. Gynes had another great performance for the Highlanders with 21 points and 5 boards.

Up next, the Highlanders face another test. West Virginia (5-3) is heading to Radford in two days. The Highlanders were able to rest their starters more than normal and Coach Rick Sampson is hoping that his team won’t be too fatigued when the two teams face off.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

Radford…49…48….97
James Madison…40…43….83

Player of the Game: Alex Gynes – 21 pts 5 reb 4 ast 9/11 fg

Radford stat JMU
40/59 FG 33/51
68% FG% 65%
12/20 3pt 11/21
60% 3pt% 52%
5/8 FT 6/8
63% FT% 75%
32 assists 27
8 turnovers 11
21 rebounds 17
5 off rebounds 2
10 steals 7
1 blocks 1
50 pts in paint 34
23 bench pts 19
8 fast break pts 7

Top 3 Performers:

James Madison
Joe Posey 36 pts 3 ast 12/21 fg 9/13 3pt
Abdulai Jalloh 8 pts 3 reb 8 ast
Terrance Carter 8 pts 4 reb 3 stl

Radford
Amir Johnson 2 pts 16 ast
Kenny Thomas 20 pts 7/9 fg 6/8 3pt
Alex Gynes 21 pts 5 reb 4 ast 9/11 fg

Up Next: West Virginia (5-3)

[rsampson2999]

Stats

Team Stats – 79.6 PPG, 23.0 RPG, 21.7 APG, 14.7 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 50% FG, 34.9 3PT% 82.9 FT%

PG – Amir Johnson – 65 overall, 5’9’’, 193, sophomore*….4.9 ppg, 7.8 apg, 2.2 spg, 18.2 mpg
SF – Jamar Jenkins – 64 overall, 6’6’’, 217, junior*….11.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.3 spg, 16.1 mpg
SG – Kenny Thomas – 61 overall, 6’3’’, 182, junior*…9 ppg, 2.4 apg, 16.4 mpg
PF – Alex Gynes – 60 overall, 6’6’’, 220, freshman*…18.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.9 spg, 16.7 mpg
SG – Chris McEachin – 59 overall, 6’5’’, 181, freshman…3.2 ppg, 1.6 apg, 6.7 mpg
SG – Martell McDuffy – 59 overall, 6’4’’, 187, junior…3.9 ppg, 1.4 apg, 9.7 mpg
PF – Nick McFarlin – 57 overall, 6’7’’, 217, freshman*…13.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 14.6 mpg
SF – Eric Hall – 55 overall, 6’8’’, 203, junior…1.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 4.7 mpg
C – Colby Trent – 52 overall, 6’8’’, 278, senior…2.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 6.1 mpg
C – Joey Lynch-Flohr – 50 overall, 6’8’’, 221, sophomore…1.8 ppg, 2.3 mpg
C – Duane Ricks – 50 overall, 6’9’’, 190, senior…9.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 9.1 mpg
SG – Philip Martin – 49 overall, 6’6’’, 190, sophomore…0.5 ppg, 0.8 mpg

[rsampson2999]

Top 25 poll

1. Kansas 9-1
2. North Carolina 8-1
3. Marquette 9-0
4. Pittsburgh 9-0
5. Louisville 8-1
6. Georgetown 7-1
7. Wisconsin 9-1
8. Memphis 6-2
9. Kentucky 7-2
10. Michign State 7-2
11. Duke 7-2
12. Vanderbilt 9-1
13. UCLA 7-3
14. Arizona 6-2
15. Connecticut 8-1
16. Arkansas 8-2
17. Texas 8-2
18. Maryland 8-2
19. Oregon 8-2
20. Washington St. 7-2
21. Florida 8-2
22. Georgia 5-1
23. Villanova 6-2
24. Stanford 7-2
25. Providence 7-2

League Leaders

PPG
Jason Thompson (Rider) 27.2
Bo McCalebb (New Orleans) 26.8
Kyle Hines (UNC-Greensboro) 26.1

RPG
Joseph Harris (Coastal Carolina) 14.7
Michael Beasley (Kansas State) 12.3
Calvin Williams (Southeast Missouri State) 11.9

APG
Bryon Eaton (Oklahoma State) 8.1
Chris Lowe (Massachusetts) 7.9
Amir Johnson (Radford) 7.8

[rsampson2999]

(5-3) West Virginia at Radford (6-3)

An Instant-Classic Double Overtime Game

BLACKSBURG (AP) – This one will go down for the ages in the Radford Highlanders’ history book.

On paper, this looked like it would be no match for the West Virginia Mountaineers. The sportsbook in Vegas had the spread at -20.5 in favor of the Mountaineers. Well, they were wrong.

The first half started out with the Highlanders absolutely dominating the Mountaineers. Coach Rick Sampson switched his defensive philosophy specifically against West Virginia. He pressed, pressed, and pressed some more. After each basket and out of bounds play, he turned on his fullcourt trap. It worked beautifully in the the first half, giving the Highlanders a 41-32. His much-touted 2-3 zone matchup also was not used at all throughout the game. Instead, he went man-to-man because of West Virginia’s ability to shoot the 3.

At the break, Alex Gynes led the Highlanders with 16 points. Da’Sean Butler carried the Mountaineers with 11 points of his own. In the second half, the Highlanders were up by as many as 14. The stadium was going nuts, but then the Mountaineers started doing what they do best – shooting the 3.

The last minute of the game was one of the greatest minutes many of the fans at Radford have ever seen. It looked like the Mountaineers were going to run away with this one. They were up by 8 with a minute to go. With West Virginia being such a good shooting team, many assumed that their free throws would lead them to victory. Not so fast. Kenny Thomas dribbled down the court, down by 8, and shoots up a 3 – swish. The Highlanders quickly foul Alex Ruoff. They were in the bonus, and he made the first one. The second one? Miss. The next 3 pointer by Thomas was exactly the same - Dribble down the court, shoot, swish. They again foul Ruoff with 21 seconds left. He misses the first, makes the second. The Highlanders are now down by 4. They go for the easy 2, giving the ball to their star, Alex Gynes. He makes a nice layup with 6 seconds left. They’re down by 2. West Virginia tries the quick inbound pass to Da’Sean Butler but it was stolen by Jamar Jenkins. He quickly made the pass to Gynes and it was tied up with 1.3 seconds left in regulation. The Mountaineers didn’t get a shot off.

The first overtime was another intense 5 minutes of basketball. The Highlanders and Mountaineers traded off lead change for lead change up until the last 30 seconds. With the Highlanders up by 1, they held the ball until about 10 seconds were left in the game, and Gynes made a tough layup that gave them a 3 point lead. With the crowd ready to erupt and storm the court, chanting “Defense! Defense! Defense”, The Mountaineers brought the ball down the court and the center, Jamie Smalligan, launched a 24 foot 3 pointer with 3 seconds left – bucket. The game was tied at 103-103 going into the second overtime.

The Highlanders began showing signs of fatigue in the second overtime. It looked as though Gynes was going to collapse on the floor. He had 45 points in the game, but had nothing left in the second overtime. The Highlanders began missing wide open layups and jumps, and West Virginia began to shoot lights out. The lead got up to as many as 12 with 2 minutes to go, but then the Highlanders cut it to 6. This time, the Mountaineers made their free throws and finished off the Highlanders with a 127-120 victory. Ra’Sean Butler had a season-high 35 points in the victory.

[rsampson2999]

Game Stats:

West Virginia…32…52…19…24…127
Radford…41…43…19…17…120

Player of the Game: Da’Sean Butler – 39 pts 4 rebs 3 ast 17/24 fg 3/5 3pt

WVU stats Radford
51/81 FG 42/77
63% FG% 56%
10/22 3pt 12/27
46% 3pt% 44%
15/21 FT 24/26
71% FT% 92%
33 assists 26
23 turnovers 22
36 rebounds 23
13 off rebounds 5
16 steals 19
5 blocks 3
60 pts in paint 50
13 bench pts 16
26 fast break pts 21

Top 3 Performers:

Radford
Alex Gynes 45 pts 10 reb 8 ast 6 stl 16/27 13/13 ft
Kenny Thomas 22 pts 5 ast 7/15 fg 6/14 3pt
Jamar Jenkins 20 pts 3 reb 3 ast 8/12 fg 4/7 3pt

West Virginia
Da’Sean Butler 39 pts 4 reb 3 ast 17/24 fg 3/5 3pt
Alex Ruoff 22 pts 5 reb 7 ast 6/13 fg 8/10 ft
Jamie Smalligan 29 pts 8 reb 4 stl 3 blk 12/16 fg 3/3 3pt

Up Next: at South Carolina (4-4)

[jjredick4]

at least you know now your team can hang with some top teams in the country

[boomosby50]

wow, high scoring game, its more than mine against Wichita St with Howard, but u had double overtime, so thats cheating

[rsampson2999]

Yeah, it was probably the most intense game I've ever played. I thought I was going to pull off the upset!

[vikingfan1]

Wow, what a game!

[rsampson2999]

Question for people that have been doing legacies for a while...What do you guys do with the sliders?

I feel like it is way too easy to score for me. I don't feel like I've been challenged except against Georgetown and WVU. I have it on the highest difficulty and I am still blowing most people out. I would have won my first two games if I knew my team better, but now that I've played with them, I feel like I can contend with anyone lower than an 82-83. And that's just not realistic for Radford to do that.

So what should I change? I mean, not trying to sound conceding, but I know I am a pretty good player. I made it to the Pontiac Virtual Final Four final of my bracket (if that means anything) so I don't know if most of you change it to make it more difficult, or if you all just leave it on default? I don't want to make it too impossible though where I can't win any games, neither.