A New Era for Radford Men’s Basketball: 2025-2026 Preview

On Tuesday, September 30th, the Radford University Men’s Basketball team held an open practice as an opportunity for fans to preview the team’s upcoming season. The practice was followed by commentary from CBS college basketball re- porter Jon Rothstein, who is currently on a preseason tour across the country. He spoke about the current state of college basketball, and the potential that Radford holds in the upcoming season. “Seeing the product that’s going to be on the floor this year for Radford, I can easily say in 20 years covering college basketball, I have never seen a program at Radford have the caliber of talent that you are going to have this season.” Rothstein said, following the practice. It is clear there is an immense amount of talent on the team this season.

All 15 players, 14 of them being new recruits to the team, exemplified chemistry & competitiveness on the court last Tuesday. But Rothstein highlighted the fact that to ultimately succeed as a team, there needs to be more than just pure talent. There must be support from the community. He stated, “The caliber of player and the caliber of talent that you will have associated with your team is going to be directly correlated to the efforts around everyone supporting the program and the university.”

Coach Zachary Chu is also extremely focused on heightening support from the Radford community. He and the team have been working incredibly hard on and off the court to build a team that the university will be proud of. Coach Chu
has made it clear that he values the student-centric nature of Radford University.

“This is the most student centered place I’ve ever been in,” said Chu. It is extremely evident that he and his team are trying to create a high-energy environment on our home court this season., but simply winning games isn’t their only priority.

When asked to give one message to students, Chu said,

“We want to create an environment here that ultimately helps us win games, but to be transparent, we want to create an environment here that people love to be involved in and be a part of.”

Students getting involved with the program, coming out to support the team at games, as well as connecting with players off the court, can contribute directly to the success of the team. Coach Chu is extremely proud of this season’s team and staff, describing them as “high integrity, high quality, and highly competitive,” and hopes to share that pride with the rest of the Radford University community.

There are numerous ways to be involved & connected with the men’s basketball program this season. Information and highlights can be found via the Radford University Athletics website, as well as on social media. Live game coverage is also available on Radford University’s public radio station, WVRU, and highlights are available every week in the Tartan. The team will also be tabling outside the Student Recreation & Wellness center on Thursdays. The most prominent and effective mode of support, though, is attending games and cheering on the team in person. Something extremely special about Radford University is the strong & supportive community, and as Rothstein said Tuesday night, “There has never been a time in college athletics where it can be more exciting to be a part of something.”