The Radford University men’s basketball team was picked to finish first in the 2019-20 Big South Preseason Poll.
Redshirt junior guard Carlik Jones was named the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, and senior guard Travis Fields, Jr., was selected to the Big South Preseason All-Conference Second Team, the league office announced at its Media Day.
In a poll consisting of one head coach and two media members from each program, the Highlanders received 13 first-place votes. Gardner-Webb, who checked in at second in the poll, actually received the most first-place votes with 14, while third-place Winthrop accounted for two.
Last season, Jones was an NABC District 3 First–Team Selection after averaging 15.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. His 5.8 assists per contest ranked second in the Big South. The Cincinnati, Ohio native also sat second in assist/turnover ratio (2.3), second in steals per game (1.7) and tied for fourth in field goal percentage (.463) in the conference last season.
The 2017-18 Big South Freshman of the Year, Jones ranks 10th in RU program history with 294 career assists and is 89 points shy of becoming the 32nd player in Radford history to score 1,000 points. Last season, Jones was second on the single-season charts in assists with 181.
Fields played an important role in Radford’s 22 wins a season ago, including a career-high 33-point performance at Hampton. The starting point guard averaged 29.8 minutes, 10.8 points, 3.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in 2018-19. Along with his 12-for-14 shooting performance at Hampton, he pulled down a career-high eight rebounds against Longwood on Jan. 5..
Jones and Fields are two of three starters returning for the Highlanders that claimed a share of last year’s Big South regular season title for the fifth time in program history. Altogether, the Highlanders return eight letter winners and welcome five newcomers.
Fans will get their first look at Fields, Jones and the Highlanders today when they host Randolph College for a preseason exhibition at the Dedmon Center. Radford then kicks off the regular season on Friday, Nov. 8 with a trip to Lynchburg against Liberty.
2018-19 Big South Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
1) Radford (13)
2) Gardner-Webb (14)
3) Winthrop (2)
4) Hampton
5) Charleston Southern
6) Longwood
7) Campbell
8) High Point
9) UNC Asheville
10) Presbyterian
11) USC Upstate
2018-19 Big South Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams: First-Team-
Carlik Jones, Radford (Preseason Player of the Year); Jermaine Marrow, Hampton; Jose Perez, Gardner-Webb; Phlandrous Fleming, Charleston Southern; DeVon Baker, UNC Asheville. Second-Team: Josh Ferguson, Winthrop; Lorenzo Phillips, Longwood; Travis Fields, Jr., Radford; Nate Johnson, Gardner-Webb; Cory Hightower, Presbyterian.
–RU Athletics
