Comings and Goings XII: Radford

Alexis Jackson

Winding down Comings and Goings with Radford.

The rest of the series so far with Hampton on deck:

Comings and Goings: Old Dominion
Comings and Goings: Richmond
Comings and Goings: George Mason
Comings and Goings: Virginia
Comings and Goings: Virginia Tech
Comings and Goings: William and Mary
Comings and Goings: VCU
Comings and Goings: Liberty
Comings and Goings: Longwood
Comings and Goings: Norfolk State

Who's going

Ayana Avery, 5-5 G 10.6 ppg, 36 percent from 3
Jordynn Gaymon, 6-1 F, 6.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg
Kiera McIvor 5-9 G, 3.6 ppg
Janelle James, 6-3 C; slowed by knee injury as a freshman last season; the Lancaster, Ohio native has transferred to Ohio State but will not play basketball
Britney Anderson: assistant coach has returned to her alma mater, Virginia Tech, to assist Dennis Wolff

These guys will be missed; Avery, Gaymon and McIvor started a combined 70 games last season, and Avery led the Highlanders in scoring. James, who recovered from knee surgery, returns closer to home to finish her education. The 17 wins last season was the most since 2007-08.

Who's coming

Destinee Walker, 5-11 G/F, Florence, S.C. (West Florence High), All-Star Girls Report lists the versatile wing as the 347th overall recruit in the country, the highest-ranked recruit ever signed by coach Mike McGuire; averaged 16.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.8 apg and 3.3 spg as a senior; amassed more than 1,000 career points; two-time Region 6-4A Player of the Year; two times all state; accepted to Team USA U17 tryouts last summer in Colorado Springs
Sydney Nunley, 6-3 C, Lewisburg, W.Va. (Meade High); had a triple-double (21 points, 16 boards, 11 blocks on Senior Night); averaged 15 ppg, 16 rpg, 5 blocks as a junior when she led G

Lydia Rivers, 6-2 F, Kinston, N.C. (Kinston High); sidelined most of her senior season recovering from an ACL injury; MVP of state championship in 2013 when she recorded 9 blocks; named Kinston's Female Athlete of the Year after averaging a double-double as a junior; two-time MVP for volleyball and track and president of her class her junior year; dad played tight end at Virginia tech

Jen Falconer, 5-7 G, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (Cumberland Valley High); led Cumberland Valley to the PIAA 4A state title game as a junior; leading goal scorer as a freshman and sophomore for school soccer team and named Mid Penn Conference Player of the Year as a junior when she was selected to play in the 2014 High School All-American Girls' Soccer game
Alexis Jackson, 5-8 G, Severn, Md. (Meade High); amassed more than 1,000 career points; can play all five positions; selected as a U.S. Junior National all-star after her junior year; one of two students selected from her high school to attend a student-athlete leadership conference in 2014
Courtney Davidson, assistant coach: the Michigan State standout who will assist with the point guards was the former director of operations at the College of Charleston and Youngstown State

Third-year coach McGuire looks to build on a banner year when the Highlanders advanced to the postseason WNIT with a 17-14 record, finishing tied for second in the Big South. Starters Aisha Foy (10.3 ppg), Janayla White (6.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Jayda Worthy (7.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg) are joined by a crop of newcomers we're excited to see.