Conference: Sun Belt
Coach: Chris Beard
Record: 29-4, 17-3
Ratings and Rankings
– Kenpom: 56
– RPI: 46
– AP/USA Today: N/A
Seeding: Arkansas-Little Rock could be a dangerous No. 12 seed or move up a spot to a No. 11.
Names you need to know: Senior guard Josh Hagins leads the team in scoring at 13.1 points a contest while junior guard Marcus Johnson Jr. is at 12.7 points per game.
Stats you need to know: Arkansas-Little Rock is third in the NCAA in points allowed per game at 59.9 a contest. Part of this is the slow tempo the Trojans play, but they make the game manageable and play under their terms.
Big wins, bad losses: With 12 road wins on the season, the Trojans aren’t afraid to face bigger programs and take them down. Arkansas-Little Rock had road wins over San Diego State, Tulsa and DePaul during the non-conference portion of the season.
How’d they get here?: The Sun Belt requires the No. 1 seed to win two games, so the Trojans beat Louisiana-Lafayette in the semifinals and then beat Louisiana-Monroe in the title game.
Outlook: With road wins over bigger programs and a very tough defense, this could be a brutal No. 12 seed in the dreaded 5/12 matchup if the committee puts them there.
How do I know you?: Head coach Chris Beard was a 10-year assistant at Texas Tech under Bobby Knight.
