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Texas Basketball vs. Radford: 5 bold predictions against Highlanders

By Andrew Miller

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: Ed Polite Jr. #24 of the Radford Highlanders grabs a loose ball during the game against the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: Ed Polite Jr. #24 of the Radford Highlanders grabs a loose ball during the game against the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 13: Ed Polite Jr. #24 of the Radford Highlanders and Randy Phillips #32 of the Radford Highlanders attempt to keep the ball away from Raiquan Clark #23 of the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds during the game at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 13: Ed Polite Jr. #24 of the Radford Highlanders and Randy Phillips #32 of the Radford Highlanders attempt to keep the ball away from Raiquan Clark #23 of the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds during the game at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

5. Texas dominates Ed Polite Jr. on the glass

Radford’s strength runs through its “big three” in the starting lineup. Of those three starters, the rebounding leader by far is the senior forward Ed Polite Jr. Over the past three seasons, Polite Jr. provided a steady presence both in scoring from the paint and from mid-range and hitting the glass hard.

Polite Jr. is well on pace to set a career mark in rebounds per game this season. This would be the first season that he averages a double-double in his career. Polite Jr. has 12.2 points per game and 11.2 rebounds this season. If he can keep posting numbers like this, he’s going to have an easy time keeping his stat line up in conference play.

Most of Radford’s most difficult games come in the non-conference slate. It faces potential NCAA Tournament teams like the William & Mary Tribe, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Texas basketball, all in the first seven games of the regular season. Radford has difficult matchups against the Maryland Terrapins and Clemson Tigers left to come.

This team is not going to be intimated about facing the No. 17 ranked team in the nation in the Horns. Radford faces teams of equal strength. There is one area that the Horns can take advantage of the undersized Radford starting five. Dominating on the glass is something the Horns were rarely able to do, but it does hold a significant edge in size and athleticism over Radford’s leading rebounder in the front court.

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