OPENING TIP
Little Rock's crucial Alabama road trip continues in Mobile when the Trojans take on South Alabama Saturday. Opening tip against the Jaguars is set for 3 p.m. at the Mitchell Center, streaming live on ESPN+. Ray Tucker will once again carry the radio call live on The Point 94.1 FM and online at KKPT.com.
STARTING FIVE
• Little Rock and South Alabama meet for the 51st time Saturday with the Jaguars holding the 29-21 series lead. Little Rock won the last meeting a 91-62 victory in Little Rock on January 12.
• Kris Bankston continues to rank among the nation's dunk leaders, throwing down 56 this season to sit second nationally behind Texas' Jaxon Hayes. His 82.4% field goal percentage would lead the NCAA had he met the minimum of 5.0 made field goals per game (he is currently at 3.7).
• Rayjon Tucker notched his 10th game of 20 or more points in the win at Troy Thursday night. Tucker has finished in double figures in 21 of his 22 games this season, averaging 20.4 points per game.
• Little Rock scored 54 points while shooting nearly 80% from the floor in the second half in the win over Troy and shot 63.4% for the game, the second-best performance of 2018-19.
• The road streak came to an end Thursday as the Trojans snapped a nine-game road skid, dating back to November, earning their first Sun Belt road game of the year. Little Rock is trying to win back-to-back road league games for the first time since 2015-16.
CRITICAL WEEKEND
With the second half of the Sun Belt season getting underway, the trip to Alabama is an important one for Little Rock in terms of the postseason. The Trojans are currently tied for 10th in the Sun Belt standings at 3-7 in league play and would be the number 11 seed if the tournament started today. Wins are critical for everyone at this point as just four games separate the first and last place teams with just the top 10 teams qualifying for the 2019 Sun Belt Conference tournament in March.
BACK IN THE BELT
The 2018-19 season marks Little Rock's 28th 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 239-229 (.511) record in conference play. Little Rock and South Alabama have been Sun Belt rivals since that 1991-92 season, meeting for the 51st time Saturday afternoon.
IRON MAN
Rayjon Tucker continues to be a mainstay on the court for Little Rock as the redshirt junior is averaging 36:23 minutes per game - first in the Sun Belt and 28th nationally. Tucker has played 35 or more minutes in 15 of his 20 games this season, playing 40 or more minutes three times. That time on the court has allowed him to put up some impressive numbers, ranking fourth in the Sun Belt in points per game (20.4), sixth in field goal percentage (50.7%), seventh in three-pointers (2.2) and fourth in defensive rebounds (5.9). Tucker also knows how to get to the free throw line, ranking 25th in free throws made (117) and 28th in free throws attempted (151).
TROJANS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
As a team, Little Rock finds itself ranked among the national leaders in a number of categories. The Trojans are 15th nationally in field goal percentage at 49.0%, ranking second in the Sun Belt behind Georgia Southern. Little Rock is one of the nation's top teams in getting to the foul line, ranking 25th nationally with 524 attempts, while ranking 53rd in turnovers forced (15.4) and 67th in three point field goal percentage (37.0%).
BIG MAN BANKSTON
Kris Bankston continues to put together a solid sophomore year for Little Rock, making his presence felt inside. Bankston has registered 56 dunks on the year, second in the NCAA this season behind Texas' Jaxon Hayes' 60. The sophomore is shooting 82.4% from the floor and would rank first nationally had he met the minimum of 5.0 made field goals per game. With 84 field goals on the year, Bankston needs just six more to qualify for the Trojan single season field goal percentage lead as he would shatter the previous mark of 65.0% set by Ryan Moss in 1997-98.
FRESHMAN FOURSOME
Little Rock's freshman foursome have been called on early and often as the group of Markquis Nowell, Kamani Johnson, Horace Wyatt Jr. and Nikola Maric have started eight of the Trojans' last 11 games. Little Rock's freshmen have combined to play 1,814 of Little Rock's 4,650 minutes this season (39.0%), providing 645 of the Trojans' 1,777 points (36.3%). The group has accounted for 281 rebounds (35.6%) while combining for 67 of Little Rock's 115 starts in 2018-19 (58.3%).
LITTLE BIG MAN
While typically the smallest player on the court, 5-8 freshman guard Markquis Nowell has come up big time and time again for the Trojans this season. Nowell ranks second on the team in points per game (12.8), scoring in double figures 14 times this season. He ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in assists (4.6 apg.) and is sixth in steals (1.6 spg.), ranking second on the team with a 78.7% free throw percentage.
THROW IT DOWN, BIG MEN
Little Rock is earning a reputation as one of the nation's top dunking teams as the Trojans have recorded 91 dunks through the first 23 games of the 2018-19 season, averaging just under four per game. Kris Bankston has become the poster boy for slams for Little Rock with 56 of his 84 field goals coming off dunks (67%), upping his career dunk total to 74. Little Rock has more than doubled-up its opponents thus far in 2018-19, out-dunking the competition 91-41.Â
2018-19 TROJAN DUNKS Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• 56 - Kris Bankston (High of 6 at Tennessee State, 11/13/18)
• 21 - Rayjon Tucker (High of 4 vs. Two Teams)
• 9 - Kamani Johnson (High of 2 vs. South Alabama, 1/12/19)
• 4 - Horace Wyatt Jr. (High of 2 vs. Central Arkansas, 12/8/18)
• 1 - Deondre Burns (High of 1 vs. South Alabama, 1/12/19)
BIG OFF THE BENCH
Redshirt junior Deondre Burns has been a spark off the bench for Little Rock this season, ranking third on the team in scoring average at 10.6 ppg. He has been especially efficient in the second half as of last as his combined 31 points in the last two games against Arkansas State and Troy have all come after halftime. Burns leads the team in free throw shooting, connecting on 79.6% of his attempts, and has been the spark for the Trojan bench to outscore the opposition in six of their 10 Sun Belt Conference matchups.
DOUBLE FIGURE CLUB
Little Rock's offense has been efficient this season as the Trojans are averaging 77.0 points per game, which is the highest for the team since Little Rock averaged 86.9 ppg in 1990-91. That effort has been paced by Rayjon Tucker, who is averaging 20.4 points per game and has scored in double figures in 21 of his 22 games this season, going over 20 points nine times. Markquis Nowell has scored in double figures 14 times this season with Nikola Maric doing it 13 times as Little Rock's roster has combined for 82 games scoring 10 points or more in 2018-19.
OFF THE SCHNEID
Little Rock's win at Troy Thursday night ended a handful of streaks the Trojans are fine to see fall by the wayside. Little Rock won its first road game since the victory at Tennessee State in November, ending a nine-game streak, and notched its first Sun Belt road victory since the overtime upset over Louisiana back in March. Little Rock will now seek its first Sun Belt road sweep since defeating the Georgia schools February 18 and 20, 2016.
LAST TIME OUT
Trailing by six at halftime, Little Rock put together its most complete 20 minutes of the season, scoring 54 points and routing Troy on its home floor 84-70 Thursday night in Troy, Alabama. Little Rock shot nearly 80% from the floor in the second half and used an 18-2 run to build the sizeable advantage. Rayjon Tucker led the way with 24 points as Little Rock sweeps the season series against Troy and snaps its five game losing skid, winning its first road game since November.
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
2018-19: 12-11 overall, 5-5 Sun Belt (T-6th), 11-4 at home
Last Three Games: W vs. Arkansas State (70-62); W vs. Troy (81-75); W at ULM (78-72)
Series: South Alabama leads, 29-21 (.580) | Streak: Little Rock won 1 |Â First: Jan. 16, 1992 (W, 85-74) | Last: Jan. 12, 2019 (W, 91-62)Â
Head Coach: Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005). First season at South Alabama (12-11); Third season overall (47-39)
Key Players:
• #33 Josh Ajayi (R-Jr., F): 16.3 ppg., 8.3 rpg., 57.0 FG%, 54.5 3FG%
• #42 Trhae Mitchell (R-Jr., F): 14.3 ppg., 7.1 rpg., 51.2 FG%
• #14 Rodrick Sikes (Sr., G): 12.5 ppg., 1.9 rpg., 38.8 FG%
• #0 Kory Holden (Gr., G): 11.4 ppg., 1.8 rpg., 39.8 FG%
• #1 Herb McGee (Jr., G): 8.1 ppg., 3.0 rpg., 40.5 FG%
LAST TIME vs. THE JAGUARS
Little Rock raced out to an early lead and never looked back, routing South Alabama 91-62 at the Jack Stephens Center Saturday. Four Trojans scored in double figures, led by 22 off the bench for Deondre Burns, as Little Rock shot 61.2% for the game. The effort was paced by the Trojan bench which outscored their Jaguar counterparts 47-7, paced by the 22 from Burns and 17 from Jaizec Lottie as the win came despite Rayjon Tucker scoring just six points, the only game this season he has failed to finish in double figures.
#LittleRocksTeam
