LITTLE ROCK - The University of Arkansas at Little Rock men's basketball team embarks on a six-game road swing on Saturday. The Trojans (1-0) play at Winthrop (1-0) at 11 a.m. at Rock Hill, S.C.
The game can be streamed on ESPN+, and Trojans Hall of Famer Ray Tucker has the call on 106.7 FM The Buz2.
Little Rock opened the season Monday at home with an 84-64 win over NAIA foe Arkansas Baptist. LSU transfer Mwani Wilkinson enjoyed a stellar debut with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting with 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Jordan Jefferson, the Trojans' lone returning major contributor, chipped in 15 points. Sophomore Ante Beljan also chipped in 15.
The Trojans only committed 11 turnovers and shot almost 47% from the field.
Little Rock hopes to continue play well against the Eagles, who were picked second in the Big South Conference behind High Point with hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. The Eagles have won 13 Big South tournament titles – the most in league history.
"It doesn't matter to us what the preseason rankings say," Eagles head coach Mark Prosser told The Herald. "For us, the expectation never changes. Our university, our fan base and our athletic department expect us to win championships and to win a championship every year. We haven't won a championship in a couple of years, and I think that makes people anxious. The motivation level doesn't change regardless of where we are picked to finish in the conference."
The Eagles also opened their season Monday with a 126-65 walloping of NCAA Division III Piedmont. Seven Eagles scored in double-figures. Kelton Talford, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, led Winthrop with 17 points and 9 rebounds.
Ryan Jolly, a 6-3 transfer graduate student transfer from Piedmont, scored 15 points against his former mates.
Talford averaged 14.1 points per game last year and was the only Eagle to earn All-Big South preseason team. Another key Winthrop returner is senior forward K.J. Doucet. Doucet, a 6-7 senior, hit 51 three-pointers last year and was selected to the All-Big South preseason second team.
Jolly could be one of the Eagles' key newcomers. He averaged 21 points per game at Piedmont last winter and scored more than 1,000 points in his career there. Old Dominion transfer Bryce Baker, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard, scored 16 points Monday night. He played in 32 games at Old Dominion and started seven.
Paul Jones III, a 6-4, 170-pound guard, is the only true freshman on the Winthrop roster. He starred at Combine Academy, one of the premier prep programs in North Carolina. Jones scored 11 in Monday's win.
For the latest information on Little Rock Basketball, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockMBB on Facebook, Instagram and X.
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