OPENING TIP
Little Rock begins the second half if its 2017-18 Sun Belt Conference schedule Thursday, February 1, hosting Georgia Southern at the Jack Stephens Center. Opening tip against the Eagles is scheduled for approximately 7:15 p.m. following the conclusion of the women's game. Ray Tucker and Kevin Crass will have the call between the Trojans and the Eagles on The Point 94.1 FM and online at
KKPT.com, beginning with the pregame show at 7:00 p.m. CT.
HOME SWEET HOME
Since 2005, Little Rock has called the Jack Stephens Center home, and the venue has helped the Trojans become one of the Sun Belt's toughest home teams. Little Rock has posted a 125-65 record (.658) at the Jack since the doors opened in 2005, including a 69-44 mark (.611) against Sun Belt Conference foes. The Trojans are 5-6 on their home court this season and have posted a winning home record every year at the Jack Stephens Center, winning 10 or more home games on five occasions.Â
ANOTHER YEAR IN THE BELT
The 2017-18 season marks Little Rock's 27th year as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, joining the league in the 1991-92 season. During that stretch, the Trojans have posted a 234-215 (.521) record in conference play, winning the 2016 Sun Belt title with five divisional championships. Little Rock and Georgia Southern have been Sun Belt foes since the 2014-15 season when the Eagles joined the league as the two teams have split their six meetings as conference opponents.
PREVIEWING THE EAGLES
2017-18: 15-7 overall, 6-3 Sun Belt Conference (4th), 6-5 on the road
Last Three Games: W vs. UT Arlington (74-59), L vs. Texas State (62-61), L at Georgia State (83-66)
Head Coach: Mark Byington (UNC Wilmington, 1998). Fifth season at Georgia Southern (84-70, .545); Sixth season overall (91-71, .562)
GEORGIA SOUTHERN SCOUTING REPORT
Georgia Southern enters Thursday's game fourth in the Sun Belt Conference at 6-3 in league play, one of just four teams above .500 in conference games. The Eagles are one of the most balanced teams in the Sun Belt, ranking first in three-point field goal defense (30.4%), second in scoring margin (+8.8 ppg) and rebounding (39.8 rpg), third in scoring defense (66.8 ppg) and fifth in both scoring offense (75.6) and field goal percentage defense (40.9%). Georgia Southern is led by Tookie Brown's 19.1 ppg (third in the league), leading the league in steals (2.2 spg) and ranking second in field goal percentage (55.6%) and fifth in assists (4.3 apg). Ike Smith (11.1 ppg) and Mike Hughes (10.4) also average in double figures.
SERIES HISTORY
Little Rock and Georgia State meet for the 33rd time Thursday as the Eagles hold a 17-15 edge in the all-time series, which started in 1981. The
two teams were TAAC conference foes from 1981 to 1991, then reunited as Sun Belt rivals in 2015. Little Rock had won three-straight before Georgia Southern's buzzer-beating 72-69 victory in Statesboro on January 6. The Trojans are 10-6 all-time against the Eagles in Little Rock, including a 2-1 record at the Jack Stephens Center.
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock and Coastal Carolina battled back-and-forth for 30 minutes Saturday in South Carolina, but the Chanticleers pulled away over the final 10 minutes to defeat the Trojans 72-62. Little Rock shot just 27.6 percent in the second half, making just eight of 29 attempts. The Trojans did tie a season-high with 12 three-pointers made but were outscored 34-16 in points in the paint, an area in which Little Rock has thrived this season.
TROJANS-EAGLES, PART ONE
Little Rock overcame a 10-point second half deficit and pulled even with Georgia Southern with 18 seconds remaining in regulation. But Tookie Brown hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, handing the Trojans a heartbreaking 72-69 loss in Statesboro on January 6. Three Trojans scored in double figures, led by a career-high 15 points from
Oliver Black, followed by 14 points from
Cameron Corcoran and 13 from
Andre Jones.
PIPPINS FROM DOWNTOWN
Sophomore
Ryan Pippins found his scoring touch against Coastal Carolina Saturday, tying his career-high with 15 points while making five of his eight three-point shots. The eight made three's are tied for the most in a game by a Trojan this season, matching the production from
Anthony Black against the University of the Ozarks (Dec. 18) and
Camron Reedus at Georgia Southern (Jan. 6). Pippins ranks second on the team in scoring at 8.5 points per game, shooting 45.8 percent from beyond the arc in Sun Belt Conference games.
CONTROLLING THE PAINT
One area that has become Little Rock's strength in 2017-18 has been its play under the basket. The Trojans have outscored their opponents 640-530 in points in the paint through 22 games this season, averaging 29.1 points in the key per game and accounting for 45.2% % of their offensive production. Little Rock has held the advantage in 15 of its 22 games this season, including a 20+ point differential against Ouachita Baptist (48-20), Norfolk State (38-10) and Ozarks (46-10).
IN OUR DEFENSE ...
While Little Rock's offensive struggles have been well documented, the Trojans' defensive presence has gone largely unnoticed. Little Rock is giving up just 69.3 points per game, holding opponents to just 42.5 percent shooting from the floor and 35.2 percent from three-point range. The Trojans have held 15 of their 22 opponents (and seven of nine Sun Belt foes) under their season average in points, keeping foes 10 points under their scoring average on seven different occasions.
HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING
The four true freshmen on Little Rock's 2017-18 roster haven't had much time to settle into things as all four have been relied upon early and often. The quartet of
Cameron Corcoran,
Jaizec Lottie,
Damir Hadzic and
Kris Bankston have combined to play 1,436 minutes already this season, accounting for 32.1% of the Trojans' 4,475 minutes. The freshmen foursome enter the game Thursday averaging 19.9 points per game, nearly 30% of Little Rock's offensive production, as Lottie, Hadzic and Bankston have combined for 38 starts this season.
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
Thursday's overtime loss at Appalachian State added another heartbreaking loss to the Trojans' 2017-18 slate. Little Rock is now 0-6 in games in which there has been a one possession differential in the final minute of the game, which includes two overtime defeats (Oral Roberts and Appalachian State) and two games in which Little Rock has lost on an opposing basket at the buzzer (Georgia Southern and Texas State). Aiding those defeats has been the Trojans' struggles from both beyond the arc and from the free throw line as the Trojans currently rank 319th nationally in three point field goal percentage (31.6%) and 347th in free throw percentage (62.4%) among the 351 NCAA Division I teams.
PLAYING CATCH-UP
The key to victory for Little Rock this season has been to race out to an early lead and never look back. In the Trojans' five victories, Little Rock has held the lead for an average of 33:42 and has not trailed at any point in each of the last three wins over University of the Ozarks, ULM and UT Arlington. On the flip side, in the games the Trojans have lost this season, Little Rock has held the lead for an average of 6:59 and has found itself trailing by double digits on 13 occasions. Falling behind has proven costly for the Trojans this season as Little Rock has not won a game in which it has trailed at any point since rallying from 16-points down to defeat Central Arkansas 71-65 on November 29, 2017.
STATE, NOT SOUTHERN
Little Rock's home weekend continues Saturday, February 3 when the Trojans host Georgia State at the Jack Stephens Center. The game will mark Little Rock's Lettermen and Hall of Fame Weekend, honoring the 2018 Hall of Fame class of Simon Gould,
Gary Hogan and Wyn Norwood. Opening tip against the Panthers is scheduled for approximately 5:15 p.m. following the conclusion of the women's game.
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