LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock's three game road swing concludes Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina, when the Trojans meet NC State. The game against the Wolfpack tips at 12 p.m. Ct at PNC Arena, streaming on ACC Network + and available through the ESPN app.
"This is a very experienced and talented team which plays in a very tough conference," said head coach
Darrell Walker. "It will be another big test for our team on the road. Hopefully we've learned the lessons that cost us the other night in Memphis and can play more the way we're capable of."
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock and NC State have met just once previously, coming in the second round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A number 14 seed, Little Rock took Jim Valvano's Wolfpack team to double overtime before falling 80-66, two days after upsetting third-seeded Notre Dame 90-83.
• The Trojans are coming off a hard-fought 68-58 loss at 16th-ranked Memphis Wednesday night. It was a game in which Little Rock led by nine in the first half, then rallied from a 10-point second half deficit to pull to within two late before the Tigers pulled away, thanks in part to 26 Trojan turnovers.
• Through five games,
Markquis Nowell continues to lead the Sun Belt Conference in scoring (20.2 ppg), steals (3.6 spg) and minutes played (39.8) while ranking second in assists (5.2) and fourth in free throw percentage (91.3%).
• For the second-straight game, Little Rock had a player post a double-double as
Kamani Johnson finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds at Memphis Wednesday for the first double-double of his career.
• Little Rock will be seeking its second win against a current member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (1-7 all-time) and first win in the state of North Carolina since defeating Sun Belt foe Appalachian State 76-68 on January 7, 2017.
• Little Rock will be playing its sixth game away from home (including the exhibition game at Arkansas) this season, compared to NC State playing its sixth-straight home game to start the 2019-20 season.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
2019-20: 4-1 overall, 0-0 Atlantic Coast
Last Three Games: W vs. Alcorn State (87-64), W vs. St. Francis (N.Y.) (95-65), W vs. Florida International (86-77)
Head Coach:Â Kevin Ketts (Marshall, 2011). 3rd season at NC State (49-25); 6th season overall (118-53)
Key Players:
• #13 C.J. Bryce (Sr., G): 17.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg., 60.3 FG%
• #24 Devon Daniels (Jr., G): 15.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg., 76.9 FT%
• #0 D.J. Funderburk (Jr., F): 12.7 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 73.7 FG%
• #10 Braxton Beverly (Jr., G): 10.6 ppg., 2.6 rpg., 41.7 3FG%
• #4 Jericole Hellems (So., F): 10.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg., 82.4 FG%
LAST TIMEÂ vs. THE WOLFPACK
The last (and only) time Little Rock and NC State met was at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the second round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament. NC State's Jim Valvano outlasted Little Rock's Mike Newell's team 80-66 in double overtime as the Trojans were led by 23 points from Myron Jackson and 16 from Pete Myers.
ATOP THE SUN BELT
Sophomore point guard
Markquis Nowell was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.5 steals in a pair of victories last week. Through the first two weeks of the season, Nowell leads the conference in scoring (20.2 ppg), steals (3.6 spg) and minutes played (39.8) while ranking second in assists (5.2) and fourth in free throw percentage (91.3%).
IRON MAN MARKQUIS
One constant through the first three games of Little Rock's 2019-20 season has been
Markquis Nowell on the court for the Trojans. Nowell has played 199 of Little Rock's 200 minutes this season, ranking third nationally in minutes per game at 39:42. Nowell is currently fourth in the NCAA in total steals (18), 12th in steals per game (3.6), 31st in total points (101) and 41st in total assists (26), leading the Sun Belt in each category.
CONSISTENT COUPET
Ben Coupet Jr. has scored in double figures in each of his first five games as a Trojan, finishing with 12 at Memphis. He also added seven rebounds while playing all 40 minutes, ranking 22nd nationally in minutes per game (37:12). Coupet is second on the Trojans in scoring (13.6) and is third in rebounding (7.0), shooting 51.9% from the floor and 50% from three-point range.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE JOHNSON
Kamani Johnson registered the first double-double of his Little Rock career Wednesday at Memphis, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds against the Tigers. Johnson continues to be one of the Trojans' top rebounders, ranking second at 7.4 per game and first with 15 offensive boards, while also improving at the free throw line. Johnson was 6-for-6 against the Tigers and has made 12-straight, upping his average to 80.8%.
I AM RUOT
Ruot Monyyong nearly posted his second-straight double-double at Memphis Wednesday, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds and a career-high four blocks. Monyyong leads the Trojan in both rebounding (8.0 rpg) and blocks (1.6), ranking third and sixth in the Sun Belt, respectively, while shooting 47.9% from the floor.
TROJAN DUNK TRACKER
Through four games in 2019-20, Little Rock continues to make a name for itself above the rim. The Trojans have out-dunked their opponents 18-11 on the season, led by 10 from
Ruot Monyyong and six from
Kris Bankston. The Trojans conceded eight dunks to Memphis Wednesday night, just the second time this season they have allowed more than one.
UNDER 65
Head coach
Darrell Walker's defensive mindset as a player has carried over to his Little Rock team as the Trojans have a team goal to hold their opponents to under 65 points per game. The Trojans have done that twice this year while allowing 66 to Missouri State and 68 to Memphis, holding the Tigers to 23 points under their season average.
(DON'T) TAKE IT OUTSIDE
Three point shooting has been a struggle for Little Rock in 2019-20 as the Trojans are making just 27.3% of its shots from beyond the arc (21-of-77), ranking 301st nationally. Little Rock is 337th in three point field goals per game (4.2) as the Trojans attempted just 10 at Memphis Wednesday night.
CLOSING IN ON 400
With his 16 points at Memphis Wednesday,
Markquis Nowell upped his career point total to 379 and is 21 points shy of becoming the third player on the roster to reach 400 career points, joining
Jaizec Lottie (426) and
Kris Bankston (403). He is also just 40 minutes shy of eclipsing the 1,000 minute mark in his Little Rock career.
AGAINST THE ACC
Little Rock has a limited history with the Atlantic Coast Conference, posting a 1-7 (.125) record against current members of the league. The meeting with NC State marks the first time the Trojans will play an ACC foe since a 79-54 loss at Georgia Tech on Nov. 26, 2004. Little Rock's lone win against the league was the Trojans' 90-83 upset of third-seeded Notre Dame in the first round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament, which coincidentally led into the lone all-time meeting against NC State in round two.
ROAD WARRIORS
Little Rock's game at NC State marks the sixth road trip in seven games, including the exhibition game at Arkansas on October 20. The month of November alone takes the Trojans to five different states (Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina), racking up just shy of 4,000 miles of travel. In contrast, NC State has traveled a total of 0 miles away from Raleigh this season as all seven games (including the exhibition against Mount Olive) have been home games for the Wolfpack.
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