LITTLE ROCK - After a home heavy start to the 2020 calendar year, Little Rock now gets ready to play three of its next four on the road, beginning Thursday in Conway, South Carolina against Coastal Carolina. The game against the Chanticleers tips at 6 p.m. CT at the HTC Center and will stream live on ESPN+.
"We hit a little bit of a snag last weekend and hopefully our team learned from those experiences," said head coach
Darrell Walker. "We have a tough road trip ahead of us this week against two very good teams, and it will be challenge starting Thursday at Coastal Carolina. They can shoot the ball well, especially from threes, so we'll need to make sure our defense is ready to go."
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock and Coastal Carolina meet for the sixth time Thursday with the Chanticleers winning all of the previous five games. Three of the five meetings have been decided by five points or less, including last year's 72-71 Coastal Carolina victory at the Jack Stephens Center.
• Little Rock is seeking to notch their first win in the Eastern time zone since 2017, going 0-9 since a win at Appalachian State on January 7, 2017. The Trojans are also seeking their first-ever victory in the Palmetto State, sitting at 0-3 in program history.
•
Ruot Monyyong notched his sixth-straight double-double and 10th of the season against South Alabama Saturday afternoon. He ranks sixth nationally with 10 double-doubles and is the Sun Belt Conference leader in rebounds (10.2), defensive rebounds (7.7) and blocks (1.9), averaging 14.1 points and 12.0 rebounds in Sun Belt play.
•
Markquis Nowell has been named to the Lou Henson Player of the Year watch list, given annually to the top Division I mid-major player. Nowell is questionable for Thursday's game after missing the last two games with an injury.
• Little Rock's defense will be put to the test Thursday as Coastal Carolina leads the Sun Belt in scoring at 80.4 points per game. The Trojans are fourth in scoring defense at 66.9 points per game and have held 14 of their 18 opponents under their season scoring average.
• Little Rock is averaging 4.6 dunks per game in Sun Belt play, out-dunking its opponents 60-30 on the year.
Ruot Monyyong has been the Trojans top inside threat with 37 slams this season.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE CHANTICLEERS
2019-20: 11-7 overall, 4-3 Sun Belt Conference
Last Three Games: W at UT Arlington (82-77); L at Texas State (78-66); W vs. ULM (93-64)
Head Coach: Cliff Ellis (Florida State, 1968). 13th season at CCU (241-181); 45th season overall (853-520)
Key Players:
• #3 Devante Jones (So., G): 15.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 84.3 FT%
• #4 Keishawn Brewton (Jr., G): 14.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 80.0 FT%
• #10 Tyrell Gumbs-Frater (Sr., G): 12.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 46.7 FG%
• #33 Tommy Burton (Sr., F): 11.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 50.7 FG%
• #2 Garrick Green (Jr., G): 8.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 46.4 FG%
LAST WE MET
Down 12 with just over four minutes to go, Little Rock used a 12-0 run to pull even with Coastal Carolina at 71-71 with less than a minute to go. But a foul in the final seconds gave the Chanticleers the one point lead and
Kris Bankston's half court heave for the win missed by inches as the Trojans drop a 72-71 heartbreaker on January 24, 2019 at the Jack Stephens Center.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Ruot Monyyong continues to make a strong case for Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds against South Alabama Saturday. It was Monyyong's sixth-straight double-double and 10th of the season, ranking him first in the Sun Belt and sixth nationally. He leads the conference in rebounding (10.2 rpg) and is averaging 14.1 points and 12.0 rebounds in Sun Belt play, shooting 64.6%% from the floor.
NOWELL ON LOU HENSON WATCH LIST
Markquis Nowell continues to gain national attention during his sophomore season as he was recently added to the Lou Henson Player of the Year Watch List, given annually to the top Division I mid-major player. Nowell ranks second in the Sun Belt in scoring at 18.8 points per game and ranks among the top-100 nationally in 15 statistical categories.
BIG TIME HOME DEBUT
Marko Lukic had an impressive first career game at the Jack Stephens Center, scoring 16 points while knocking down five three pointers against South Alabama. Playing his first home game as a Trojan, Lukic was 5-for-11 from three-point range while playing 35 minutes off the bench. It is the most three pointers in a Little Rock home debut since
Markquis Nowell's six against Southeastern Oklahoma State on November 8, 2018.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
The duo of
Ruot Monyyong and
Kamani Johnson have helped Little Rock establish a presence on the boards early in 2019-20. Monyyong (10.2 rpg) and Johnson (7.2 rpg) rank first and fourth, respectively, in the Sun Belt in rebounding average with Monyyong leading the conference in defensive rebounds (7.7) and Johnson ranking first in offensive rebounds (3.1).
SOLID LOTTIE
Jaizec Lottie has been solid in the last two games for the Trojans, starting for the injured
Markquis Nowell. Lottie is averaging 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists over the last two games as he continues to inch closer to reaching 2,000 career minutes played, sitting at 1,984. Lottie would become the first Trojan to reach the 2,000 minute mark since
Maurius Hill,
Marcus Johnson Jr. and
Kemy Osse in 2016-17.
THROWING IT DOWN
Little Rock has made a name for itself with its inside game and continues to emerge as one of the top dunking teams in the Sun Belt. The Trojans are out-dunking the opposition 60-30 on the year, registering four or more dunks in nine games this season and averaging 4.6 slams per game in Sun Belt play.
Ruot Monyyong is leading the way for Little Rock with 37 on the year, registering 20 in Sun Belt play.
TOUGH ROAD OUT EAST
Little Rock makes it second trip east this season looking to end a nine-game losing streak in the Eastern time zone. The Trojans' last victory east of the Central time zone was a 76-68 win against Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina, on January 7, 2017. Additionally, the Trojans are seeking their first-ever victory in the state of South Carolina, sitting at 0-3 in program history with losses at Coastal Carolina (2017, 2018) and at Clemson (1981).
#LittleRocksTeam
