| GAME 9 - MEMPHIS |
| Date/Time |
Tuesday, December 6 - 7 p.m. |
| Location |
Memphis, Tenn. |
| Arena |
FedEx Forum |
| Records |
Little Rock (2-6, 0-0 OVC)
Memphis (6-2, 0-0 AAC) |
| Watch |
ESPN+ |
| Listen |
106.7 FM The Buz2 |
| Live Stats |
StatBroadcast |
| Notes |
Little Rock | Memphis |
LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock concludes its long and challenging road trip, making the short trip to Memphis to take on the Tigers on Tuesday, December 6, tipping at 7 p.m. from the FedEx Forum. The game will stream live on ESPN+, called by Greg Gaston and Jon Albright, with Trojan Hall of Famer Ray Tucker handling the radio broadcast on 106.7 FM The Buz2, starting at 6:45 p.m.
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock and Memphis meet for the ninth time overall with the Tigers holding an 8-0 series lead. Seven of the previous eight meetings have been in Memphis as head coach
Darrell Walker is 0-2 all-time against Penny Hardaway.
• Little Rock has played Memphis tough in each of the last three meetings, holding a first half lead in each of the three contests at the FedEx Forum (14 in 2017, 4 in 2018 and 9 in 2019).
• Head coach
Darrell Walker is facing the third of four head coaches which also played in the NBA in a six-game span - Jackson State's Mo Williams, Indiana's Mike Woodson, Memphis' Penny Hardaway and Philander Smith's Todd Day.
•
D.J. Smith has led the Trojans in scoring in each of the last three games and currently leads the team in points per game (13.5) and free throw percentage (82.1%).
•
Myron Gardner notched his OVC-best third double-double of the season at San Francisco and ranks among the national top-60 in five statistical categories, including 21st in defensive rebounds per game (7.0).
•
Ethan Speaker was named the OVC Co-Freshman of the Week after setting career-highs with 13 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes at San Francisco.
• Little Rock is still seeking its first road win of the season and is trying to snap an eight-game skid in true road games, dating back to the 66-62 win at Troy on February 12, 2022.
• The Trojans conclude a long road swing, playing six of seven away from the Jack Stephens Center, spanning five different states and over 7,000 miles traveled.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
2022-23: 6-2 overall, 0-0 American Athletic Conference
Last Three Games: W vs. Ole Miss (68-57), W vs. North Alabama (87-68), W vs. Stanford (56-48)
Head Coach: Penny Hardaway (Memphis, 2003). Fifth season at Memphis and overall (91-45)
Key Players:
• #3 Kendric Davis (5th, G): 18.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 39.8 FG%
• #12 DeAndre Williams (5th, F): 13.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 57.1 FG%
• #2 Alex Lomax (5th, G): 7.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 40.7 FG%
• #1 Keonte Kennedy (R-Sr., G): 7.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 35.9 FG%
• #23 Malcolm Dandridge (Sr., F): 6.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 52.9 FG%
ITS BEEN A WHILE
Little Rock and Memphis meet for the ninth time and the first since November 20, 2019 when the Trojans held a nine-point first half lead before falling 68-58. Only four players that suited up in that game remain on their teams' respective rosters -
Isaiah Palermo and
Jovan Stulic for Little Rock and Jayden Hardaway and Alex Lomax for Memphis.
LAST TIME OUT
Another extended run in the first half put Little Rock in a deep hole early and the Trojans were unable to recover, falling 90-68 at San Francisco on November 30.
Myron Gardner registered his third double-double of the season, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and
Ethan Speaker set a career-high with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench.
D.J. Smith once again led the Trojans with 16 points, adding six rebounds.
CLOSING IN ON 100
Head coach
Darrell Walker is in year number five in Little Rock with an overall record of 53-71 at the helm of the Trojans. He registered his 99th win as a collegiate head coach against Jackson State on November 20, sitting at 99-89 overall. Walker boasts a pair of impressive accomplishments as he is the only coach in the nation that has served as a head coach at the NBA, WNBA, Division II and Division I ranks and is one of just five active head coaches that won an NBA title as a player.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MAN
Myron Gardner registered his third double-double of the season at San Francisco, finishing with 10 points and 12 rebounds. The three double-doubles is the most in the Ohio Valley Conference this season and ranks tied for 28th nationally. Gardner has been Little Rock's most consistent player through the first month of the season, leading the team in rebounds (9.6 rpg), assists (3.6 apg) and steals (2.1) while ranking second in scoring (12.5 ppg).
COMING UP BIG
D.J. Smith once again came up big for Little Rock, leading the team in scoring with 16 points while going 6-for-6 from the free throw line with six rebounds and three assists at San Francisco Wednesday. Smith has led the team in scoring in each of the past three games and is the program leader in points per game (13.5) and free throw percentage (82.1%).
HONORS FOR SPEAKER
Redshirt freshman
Ethan Speaker was named the OVC Co-Freshman of the Week after setting career-highs in points (13) and rebounds (six) at San Francisco while shooting 62.5% from the floor. Speaker leads the team in field goal percentage this season at 62.1% and has scored in double figures three times through the first six game of his Little Rock career.
DOUBLE FIGURE TROJANS
Eight different Trojans have scored in double figures this season, led by six from
DeAntoni Gordon and
Myron Gardner and five for
D.J. Smith.
Isaiah Palermo leads the active roster with 20 career double-figure games while Gardner and
DeAntoni Gordon have reached double figures in 62.5% of their career games played.
TROJANS AGAINST THE AMERICAN
Little Rock has gone head-to-head against eight current members of the American Athletic Conference, posting an overall record of 9-19. Little Rock's most games have come against Tulsa, meeting the Golden Hurricane 12 times, with the eight meetings against Memphis ranking second. The Trojans' last win over an AAC team was the 72-62 victory over Tulsa in Little Rock on Dec. 3, 2016, coached by Memphis assistant Frank Haith.
PLAYING FROM BEHIND
Little Rock has found itself playing from behind for the majority of the season thus far, leading for a total of 60:59 through the first eight games this season. The Trojans never led in five of their six losses as Little Rock has found itself trailing by 15 or more points in all but one game this year (Arkansas Baptist).
MEMPHIS HOMECOMING
Freshman
Daniel Egbuniwe will make the return to his hometown Tuesday, playing 17 miles from his home gym at First Assembly Christian where he was a 2012 Memphis Mr. Basketball finalist. Additionally, graduate student
CJ White will be reunited with Memphis' Kendric Davis and Jahmar Young Jr. as the trio were teammates at SMU from 2018-20.
END OF THE (LONG) ROAD
Little Rock concludes its challenging road swing at Memphis, playing six of seven away from the Jack Stephens Center. That trip included three NCAA tournament teams (Indiana, San Francisco and Memphis), with games in five different states (Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio and California). Adding the trip to Illinois to start the season, Little Rock will have traveled approximately 7,500 miles through the first month of the season.
#LittleRocksTeam
