Photo courtesy of RU Athletics – (L-R) Javonte Green, Ed Polite, Jr., and Carlik Jones have been named to the men’s basketball All-Decade Team by the Big South Conference.
Three former Radford University men’s basketball players were named to the Big South Conference’s Men’s Basketball 2010-19 All-Decade Team presented by Hercules Tires, which was announced by the league office on Friday.
Javonte Green, Ed Polite, Jr., and Carlik Jones represent the Highlanders on the 15-man team. Three is the most of any individual Big South school on the 2010-19 squad.
Green (2011-15), Radford’s first-ever NBA player, was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season. During his four-year career, he averaged 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. The Petersburg, Va., native ranks second at Radford in career points with 1,911. He was tabbed as an All-Conference selection every year of his career and captured a roster spot with the Boston Celtics for the 2019-20 season.
Polite Jr., (2015-19) capped off a stellar career with the 2018-19 Big South Defensive Player of the Year honor. The Lanham, Md., product had 199 career steals, ranking second in program history, and 159 blocked shots, third in Highlander history. Polite is the all-time leading rebounder in Radford history and ranks second in the history of the Big South with 1,119 career rebounds.
Jones (2016-20) was the only player in the nation to average at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per outing last year. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native was named the 2017-18 Big South Freshman of the Year and ended his career with the 2019-20 Big South Player of the Year honor. He was the seventh player in Big South history to score 1,000+ points and grab 400+ rebounds and assists in a career. Jones ranks eighth in Radford history with 1,552 career points.
Men’s Basketball All-Decade Team candidates were determined based on achieving at least one of the following criteria: 1) a multiple All-Conference honoree; 2) an All-American; 3) a member of the Big South Conference Hall of Fame; 4) a college graduate or in good academic standing with the respective institution; 5) Won a conference championship as a coach and/or was voted Conference Coach of the Year.
A 15-person committee of Big South Conference administrators served as the official voting panel to determine the All-Decade Team, with fan voting making up 20 percent of the overall total. The 2010-19 All-Decade Team features 12 players and one head coach. In case of ties, additional honorees have been added.
Making up the Big South all-decade men’s basketball team are Nick Barbour, High Point; John Brown, High Point; Chris Clemons, Campbell; Xavier Cooks, Winthrop; Matt Dickey, UNC Asheville; David Efianayi, Gardner-Webb; Javonte Green, Radford; Keon Johnson, Winthrop; Carlik Jones, Radford; Kelvin Martin, Charleston Southern; Saah Nimley, Charleston Southern; Stan Okoye, VMI; Ed Polite Jr., Radford; Jesse Sanders, Liberty; and Ahmad Thomas, UNC Asheville.
The all-decade head coaches are Eddie Biedenbach, UNC Asheville and Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina.
