LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock returns to action after a 10-day hiatus, facing Jacksonville State in its non-conference finale. The Trojans and Gamecocks will tip at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 21 at the Jack Stephens Center, streaming on ESPN+ with Tyler Cass and Patrick Newton on the call. Trojan Hall of Famer Ray Tucker will handle the radio call on 106.7 FM The Buz2, beginning at 1:45 p.m.
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock's game scheduled at Central Arkansas on December 14 had to be postponed due to the combination of injuries and an influenza bug that affected the team, leaving Little Rock with just four available players.
• Little Rock and Jacksonville State meet for just the second time in program history after the Trojans earned a 75-70 win in the British Virgin Islands on December 20, 2013, nearly eight years to the day of the only meeting between the two.
• D.J. Smith became the fourth different Trojan to register a double-double this season, scoring 13 points with 10 rebounds in the win over Philander Smith. All four Trojan double-doubles have come against teams from the Natural State (CJ White vs. Arkansas Baptist, Nikola Maric vs. Champion Christian, Isaiah Palermo at Arkansas).
• Isaiah Palermo and Marko Lukic each scored in double figures for the sixth time this season in the win over Philander Smith, the most on the team. 10 different Trojans have registered double digit point totals this year out of the 13 that have played.
• The two teams both have connections to the Ohio Valley Conference as Jacksonville State is in its first season in the Atlantic Sun after spending 18 seasons as a member of the OVC. Little Rock has announced it will join the OVC effective July 1, 2022.
• Little Rock is 4-1 at the Jack Stephens Center this season and 31-16 at home under head coach Darrell Walker. The Trojans are 14-5 against non-conference foes at home under Walker, winning 11 of the last 13.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
2021-22: 5-6 overall, 0-0 Atlantic Sun Conference
Last Three Games: L at Alabama (59-65), W vs. Florida International (66-59), W vs. LaGrange (110-80)
Head Coach: Ray Harper (Kentucky Wesleyan, 1985). Sixth season at JSU (103-71); 23rd season overall (543-198)
Key Players:
• #23 Darian Adams (Sr., G): 15.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 42.1 FG%
• #22 Jalen Gibbs (Sr., G): 11.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 44.6 3FG%
• #50 Brandon Huffman (Sr., F./C): 9.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 59.1 FG%
• #1 Demaree King (Jr., G): 8.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 38.8 FG%
• #11 Kayne Henry (Sr., G/F): 8.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 47.7 FG%
SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday is the second all-time meeting between Little Rock and Jacksonville State as the Trojans took a 75-70 win over the Gamecocks on December 20, 2013 in the British Virgin lslands as part of the BVI Tropical Shootout. Little Rock was led by 18 points from Ben Dillard with Will Neighbour adding a double-double as four Trojans finished in double figures.
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock and Philander Smith combined for 12 ties and 17 lead changes before the Trojans pulled away late for a 60-51 victory over its cross-town neighbors Saturday afternoon. Isaiah Palermo led the way with a game-high 18 points and nine rebounds while D.J. Smith registered his first career double-double, finishing with 13 points and 10 boards to pace the Trojans to the win.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE CLUB
Little Rock has had four different players register a double-double this season with the latest coming Saturday when D.J. Smith posted the first of his career with a 13-point, 10-rebound effort in the win over Philander Smith. Isaiah Palermo nearly reached his second of the season, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds, as Nikola Maric (Arkansas Baptist) and CJ White (Champion Christian) are the other two Trojans to reach the mark.
DOUBLE FIGURE TROJANS
10 different Trojans have combined for 34 double figure performances in 2021-22, led by Marko Lukic and Isaiah Palermo each reaching double-digits six times. D.J Smith became the 10th different Trojan to reach double figures in a game this season following his 13-point performance against Philander Smith as 10 of the 13 Trojans that have played this season have scored 10 or more points at least once.
DOING IT ALL
Isaiah Palermo has emerged as the most consistent player of the 2021-22 season through the first 11 games. Palermo leads the team in field goal percentage (55.2%) and three point percentage (45.5%) while ranking second in free throw percentage (80.0%). He has led the team in scoring four times this season while pacing the Trojans in rebounding twice, finishing as the Trojans top steals and blocks producer three times as well.
PRESSING THROUGH ADVERSITY
Injuries have played a major factor early in Little Rock's 2021-22 season. Six different Trojans are currently out with injuries, combining for 59 missed games this season. Myron Gardner, Ethan Speaker and Chris Walker have all missed the first 11 games due to preseason injuries with Nikola Maric and CJ White missing the last five after injuries sustained in Jacksonville and DeAntoni Gordon missing the last three following his injury at Colorado State. Little Rock has used six different starting lineups with 11 different Trojans earning starts due to those injuries.
STRIVING FOR 70
70 points a game has been the goal for head coach Darrell Walker since arriving at Little Rock and the Trojans have found success when reaching the mark. Under Walker, Little Rock is 33-19 (.635) when scoring 70 or more points and just 14-33 (.298) when it scores 69 points or less.
FAMILIAR FACE
One player on Jacksonville State's roster is familiar with the Trojans as senior guard Darian Adams spent three seasons at Sun Belt foe Troy from 2017-20. Adams has faced the Trojans five times previously, averaging 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game against Little Rocks with a pair of double-figure games, including an 18-point, 11-rebound game on Jan. 9, 2020.
TROJANS AGAINST THE A-SUN
Little Rock has a limited history against the Atlantic Sun, Jacksonville State's new conference home starting this season. The Trojans are 23-7 against the rest of the current league members as Jacksonville (14-3) and Stetson (8-4) use to be Sun Belt Conference opponents.
LAST TRIP AROUND THE SUN
Little Rock will have some new conference rivals on the horizon as the Trojans accepted the invitation to join the Ohio Valley Conference on Thursday, December 9. Little Rock becomes just the 22nd member to join the OVC, the eighth-oldest Division I conference, and will begin competing on July 1, 2022, ending a 30-year run as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
#LittleRocksTeam
