Big South Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
21. Ed Polite Jr.
A 6’5 wing originally from Lanham, Maryland, Polite would find his footing at Radford, playing for Mike Jones’ program between 2015 and 2019. The Highlanders had a pretty successful stretch with Polite in the program, as he played in the NCAA Tournament and became a major piece for Radford’s success.
Each passing season saw Polite’s role and production grow, averaging 8.7 points and 7.4 rebounds a game as a freshman. Those scoring numbers were closer to 14 points by his upperclassman seasons while his shooting percentages also saw a gradual increase. He actually had 1.8 blocks per game in that freshman season and was among the league’s best shotblockers. Most importantly, he helped lead Radford to the Big South Tournament title in 2018 and had 13 points and 12 rebounds in their First Four win over LIU before falling to eventual champion Villanova.
Twice the Big South’s leader in rebounding, Polite was a decent scorer who earned First Team All-Big South honors as a junior and senior and was responsible for plenty of success with the Highlanders. Additionally, he was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, finishing Top 5 in the league in blocks, steals, and defensive rebounding in an impressive affair. Polite certainly played his role well and helped take Radford to a win in the NCAA Tournament; there’s no complaints about achieving something like that.