OPENING TIP
Little Rock begins a four-game road trip that stretches into the New Year, starting with the short drive to the FedEx Forum to take on Memphis Wednesday, December 19 at 7 p.m. The game against the Tigers can be watched live on ESPN3 with Dave Woloshin, Jon Albright and Jessica Benson on the call. Live stats are available at GoTigersGo.com with Ray Tucker carrying the call live on The Point 94.1 FM.
STARTING FIVE
• Little Rock and Memphis meet for the seventh time overall with Memphis winning the previous six, including last season's 70-62 victory over the Trojans at the FedEx Forum.
• Wednesday's game will be the first of two-straight for head coach
Darrell Walker to go head-to-head against another former NBA player-turned-coach, facing Memphis' Penny Hardaway.
• Little Rock remains one of the country's top field goal shooting teams, connecting on 49.7% of its shots from the floor and ranking 22nd nationally.
•
Rayjon Tucker continues to pace the Trojan offense, averaging 20.5 points and 36:24 minutes per game, ranking 39th and 26th nationally, respectively. Tucker has scored in double figures in all 10 games he's played this season with a pair of double-doubles.
•
Kris Bankston has emerged as one of the country's top dunkers, logging 34 through 11 games this season. 34 of his 50 shots have been dunks as his 84.7% field goal percentage would lead the NCAA had he met the minimum of 5.0 FGs made per game.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Little Rock will make its first true road trip in a month when it heads to Memphis as the Trojans are coming off a stretch where they played six of their last seven at home, with the lone road game the 30 mile drive up to Conway to face Central Arkansas. The game against the Tigers marks Little Rock's second game this season in the state of Tennessee, coming off an 83-67 win over Tennessee State in Nashville on November 13.
WE MEET AGAIN
Both games for Little Rock this week will feature former NBA veterans now squaring off as head coaches, beginning Wednesday when Little Rock head coach
Darrell Walker will go head-to-head with Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway as both are in their first seasons as head coach. The challenge continues Saturday when Walker squares off against former teammate Patrick Ewing and his Georgetown Hoyas in Washington D.C.
EFFICIENT FROM THE FLOOR
Through the first 11 games of the season, the Trojans are shooting 49.7% from the floor, ranking second in the Sun Belt and 22nd nationally. Through the first third of the 2018-19 season, Little Rock has shot 50.% or better from the floor in six of its first 11 games, including a season-high 63.8% (30-of-47) against Central Arkansas on December 8. Five different Trojans are making more than half of their field goals on the year, led by
Kris Bankston's 84.7% shooting percentage (50-of-59).
IRON MAN
Redshirt junior
Rayjon Tucker has been a mainstay on the court for Little Rock in 2018-19, averaging 36:24 of playing time to rank first in the Sun Belt and 26th nationally in minutes played. Tucker has played 35 or more minutes in eight of his 10 games, including a season-high 40 against Southeastern Oklahoma on November 8. Additionally, Tucker is among the Sun Belt leaders in a number of categories, ranking third in scoring 20.5 ppg., which is 39th nationally), fifth in field goal percentage (50.7%) and fourth in defensive rebounds (5.8 rpg.).
DOUBLE FIGURE TUCKER
Rayjon Tucker' has scored in double figures in each of the 10 games he has played in, surpassing the 20-point plateau five times. His 10-straight games of scoring in double figures is the longest for a Little Rock player since
Josh Hagins accomplished the feat in 11-straight games from 2015-16. With another game of 10 points or more against Memphis, Tucker would join Hagins, De'Andre Williams (2012), Solomon Bozeman (2009) and Laverne Smith (2001) in a tie for the sixth-longest streak for the Trojans since the 2000-01 season.
BANKSTON COMING UP BIG
Sophomore
Kris Bankston continued his breakout sophomore season against Miles College, just missing a double-double with 11 rebounds and eight points, going 4-for-4 from the line. Bankston's field goal percentage of 84.7% would rank first in the NCAA had he met the minimum of 5.0 made field goals per game (Bankston is currently averaging 4.5). Additionally, 34 of his 50 field goals have been dunks, which ranks among the national leaders as well.
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock put on a dunking clinic, throwing down nine on the night, and clamping down on defense as the Trojans raced past Miles College 67-47 at the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans gave Miles College, the top defensive team in Division II, a taste of its own medicine, holding the Golden Bears to just 28.8% shooting on the night, including 27.3% from three-point range. Offensively, Little Rock's nine dunks was a season-high, paced by four each from
Rayjon Tucker and
Kris Bankston.
THROW IT DOWN, BIG MAN
Little Rock is earning a reputation as one of the nation's top dunking teams as the Trojans have recorded 54 dunks through 11 games of the 2018-19 season, averaging 4.9 per game.
Kris Bankston has become the poster boy for slams for Little Rock with 34 of his 50 field goals coming off dunks.
Rayjon Tucker has thrown it down 14 times this season AS well as the Trojans are out-dunking their opponents 54-25.
LEAN ON LOTTIE
Sophomore guard
Jaizec Lottie remains Little Rock's active leader in minutes played, tallying 1,127 as a Trojan and averaging just shy of 27 minutes a game for his career. Lottie is also the Trojans' active leader in games started (41) and is second in games played (42), ranking among the national leaders in assists. Lottie is 93rd nationally in assists per game (4.7) and 103rd overall in total assists (47), ranking sixth in the Sun Belt Conference in assist to turnover ration (1.74).
STRONG INSIDE
Little Rock remains a force in the paint as the Trojans have outscored their opponents 404-298 this season, averaging 36.7 points per game. Little Rock has held an edge in the paint in seven of 11 games in 2018-19, outscoring their opponents by 10 or more points on six occasions. The Trojans have posted three games with a 20+ point advantage in the paint, coming against Southeastern Oklahoma (44-24), Tennessee State (52-22) and Miles college (38-12).
STRUGGLES FROM THE STRIPE
In contrast to Little Rock ranking among one of the nation's top field goal shooting teams, the Trojans rank 338th out of 353 Division I teams, connecting on just 61.3% of its attempts. However, it is an area in which the Trojans are improving as in its last four games, the Trojans are making 71.1% of its attempts, connecting on 64 of 90 free throws. In its last two outings, Little Rock has made 31 of 37 attempts (83.8%) as the Trojans are led at the free throw line by
Rayjon Tucker's 75.0% (48-of-64) and
Nikola Maric's 67.4% (31-of-46).
HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING
With such a young roster, head coach
Darrell Walker knew he would need to rely on some youngsters to step up early and often. Little Rock's five freshmen, including
Markquis Nowell,
Terrell Curtis II,
Kamani Johnson,
Horace Wyatt Jr. and
Nikola Maric, have logged 770 of the Trojans' 2,225 minutes (34.6%) and have combined to score 267 of Little Rock's 839 points (31.8%). The freshmen five are also accumulated 140 rebounds (33.9%) with a combined 24 starts (43.6%).
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
2018-19: 5-5 overall, 0-0 American, 4-1 at home
Last Three Games: L vs. Tennessee (102-92); W vs. UAB (94-76); W vs. South Dakota State (88-80)
Series: Memphis leads, 6-0 |
Streak: Memphis won 6 |Â
First: Feb. 24, 1994 (L, 85-66) |
Last: Nov. 14, 2017 (L, 70-62)Â
Head Coach: Penny Hardaway (Memphis, 2003). First season at Memphis (5-5)
Key Players:
• #00 Kyvon Davenport (Sr., F): 15.7 ppg., 7.2 rpg., 56.2 FG%
• #1 Tyler Harris (Fr., G): 15.6 ppg, 1. rpg., 2.0 apg., 41.4 FG%
• #3 Jeremiah Martin (Sr., G): 13.5 ppg., 4.2 rpg., 3.9 apg., 39.5 FG%
• #5 Kareem Brewton Jr. (Sr., G): 6.9 ppg., 2.3 rpg., 46.7 FG%
• #2 Alex Lomax (Fr., G): 6.8 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 2.7 apg., 33.3 FG%
LAST TIME AGAINST THE TIGERS
Little Rock gave Memphis all it could handle on its home court Nov. 14, 2017, leading the Tiger for 32 minutes and by as many as 14. But a 22-11 run by Memphis over the final eight minutes thwarted the Trojan's upset attempt at the FedEx Forum as the Tigers escaped with a 70-62 victory. The Trojans shot 44.2% from the floor and held an edge in points in the paint (30-28), but Little Rock hit just seven of its 23 three-point attempts and shot 11 fewer free throws in the loss.
LITTLE ROCK vs. THE AMERICAN
Wednesday's game at Memphis marks Little Rock's 27th game against current members of the American Athletic Conference with the Trojans posting a 10-16 (.385) record against the league. It is the second game of 2018-19 against an American foe as Little Rock dropped an 88-78 decision at Tulsa on November 19. Tulsa (11) and Memphis (six) are the two schools the Trojans have faced the most, registering victories over five different AAC foes.
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