DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY 2015 MEAC TOURNAMENT MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES
“HORNETS” (18-17; 9-7 MEAC) vs. Radford “Highlanders” (21-11; 12-6 Big South)
Wed., Mar. 18, 2015 - 8:00 p.m.
Dover, Del. (Memorial Hall - 7,000)
College Basketball Invitational
Delaware State Head Coach Keith Walker (Clemson, '81): 23-23 at DSU (1st year, plus 11 games as interim in 2013-14); 114-125 career (9th year); 0-0 vs. Radford
Radford Head Coach Mike Jones (Howard, '90): 62-69 at RU and career (fourth year); 0-0 vs. DSU
THE GAME
Delaware State (18-17; 9-7 MEAC regular season) plays its first-ever post-season home game against Radford (Va.) of the Big South Conference in the opening round of the 2015 College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The Hornets are making their first national post-season appearance since 2007; and fourth overall. DSU's last post-season game was in the 2007 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The Hornets also appeared in the 2006 NIT; and made its national post-season debut against Duke in the 2005 NCAA Tournament after capturing the MEAC Tournament championship that year. DSU is 1-3 all-time in the post-season.
Delaware State is 18-17 overall this season. The Hornets won three MEAC Tournament games before falling to Hampton in the championship contest last Saturday.
The Hornets are led by the senior trio of center Kendall Gray, guard Amere May and forward Tyshawn Bell. Gray was selected as the 2014-15 MEAC Player-of-the-Year and Defensive Player-of-the-Year, just the second player in league history to accomplish the feat. Gray is tops in the MEAC and second in the nation in rebounding at 11.8 per game. He leads all NCAA Div. I players with 401 total rebounds this season. His senior season was highlighted by a 33-point/30-rebound performance in the Hornets' 104-92 win over Coppin State on March 5. May, also a 2014-15 All-MEAC First Team pick, is tops in the league and sixth in the nation in scoring at 21.0 points per game. He has the top scoring game in Div. I this season, pouring in a career-high 48 points vs. St. Francis Brooklyn on Dec. 17. Bell is the Hornets' third all-time three-point shooter with 206 in his career.
DSU all-time post-season results
2005 Duke 57 DSU 46 NCAA First Round
2006 DSU 58 N. Ariz. 53 NIT
Louisville 71 DSU 54 NIT
2007 West Virginia 74 DSU 50 NIT
Radford is 21-11 overall and was tied for third in the Big South with a 12-6 conference record. The Highlanders were upended by Winthrop in the quarterfinals of the league tournament. The Highlanders are led by 2014-15 All-Big South First Team and Defensive Player-of-the-Year Javonte Green (sr.; 6-4/205) who averages 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season. R.J. Price (sr.; 5-11/180) is second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game. Price also leads the Highlanders with 77 three-point field goals (77-227). Cameron Jones (jr.; 64/180) averages 7.8 points and has a team-high 108 assists.
DSU vs. RADFORD/BIG SOUTH SERIES HISTORY (RU leads 1-0)
The Hornets and Highlanders are meeting for the second time. Radford won the first contest 104-62 during the 1988-89 season. Delaware State is 3-5 all-time vs. current members of the Big South. The Hornets are 0-1 vs. Radford; 1-3 vs. Campbell; 1-1 vs. Gardner-Webb; and 1-0 vs. Liberty. The Hornets won their last game against a Big South team, defeating Campbell 70-60 during the 2013-14 season.
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