If we were painting, we'd jam a pretty large Trojan head at center court. Or perhaps even an old-school style script UALR. That would rock.
Update: Court will look identical except for the updated Sun Belt logo. That's unfortunate.
New look for UALR's Jack Stephens Center court?
If we were painting, we'd jam a pretty large Trojan head at center court. Or perhaps even an old-school style script UALR. That would rock.
Update: Court will look identical except for the updated Sun Belt logo. That's unfortunate.
A look back at the five things BTH was looking for on UALR's trip to Canada
Before UALR’s trip to Canada, Burn The Horse wrote about five things we
were watching for.
1. Leadership
We wanted to see who would step up at the point guard position.
Sophomore Josh Hagins posted some really good numbers. There’s no doubt he’s
going to get minutes. Junior J.T. Thomas was a bit of an unknown coming in but
he led UALR in both minutes played and plus/minus. UALR averaged 1.98 points
per minute with Hagins in the game, 1.83 points per minute with Thomas in the game
and 1.42 points per minute with DeVonte Smith in the game. Those numbers can be
a bit skewed because there were often two of the three on the court at the same
time. Thomas averaged 4.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists, Hagins averaged 8.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and
3.3 assists and Smith 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists. It should also
be noted that Smith made 2 of the 3 three-pointers he attempted, including a
key trey in Game 3.
2. Shooting Star
Who would step up and take control of the 2 guard position? The answer
is that this spot remains up for grabs. One interesting twist to this spot was
the addition of sophomore Josh Hagins. After splitting time between the point
and 2 guard in the first two games in Canada, Hagins played exclusively at the
2 guard in the final game, which UALR won vs. Calgary. Ben Dillard had some good moments and some
lackluster moments. As did Kemy Osse. And we saw a little bit of time here from
J.T. Thomas, Stetson Billings and Mareik Isom. Billings and Isom saw time at
the 3 and 4 positions where a lot of minutes were available due to the injury
of senior Leroy Isler. As for the 2
guard, it appears to still be wide open.
3. Will To Win
When senior Will Neighbour was good, he was really good. But he also
struggled at times. He got off to a slow start in the first game against
Calgary. Then with UALR rallying, he committed a third and fourth foul within
seconds at the start of the third quarter. Your star player can’t help you from
the bench and UALR spun out of control when he went out. Neighbour was very
good again in the third game as UALR won. Neighbour averaged 13.3 points and
5.7 rebounds.
4. White Lightning
Could sophomore James White play with the energy UALR needs him to play
at? The answer appears to have been yes. White averaged 10.3 points and 5.0
rebounds over the three games. He finished the three games at a -5 in the
plus/minus, but he was actually on the plus side in two of the three games.
5. Post position
With the departure of Michael Javes and the injury to freshman Andrew
Poulter, there was some pressure to see what UALR would do with the post. It
was manned almost exclusively in Canada by senior Will Neighbour and junior Gus
Leeper, who we wanted to keep an eye on. And Leeper played pretty well. He
finished at a +6 in the plus/minus and averaged 5.3 points and 6.0 rebounds.
But he had 11 offensive rebounds. He’s a key if UALR is to rebound from a
struggling rebounding year.
Breaking down UALR's statistics from three games in Canada
 |
| Just realized FT and 3P columns are reversed. But you get the idea :) |
- UALR shot a very good 45.9 percent from the field.
- The Trojans shot only 19.1 percent from the international three-point line
- UALR shot 67.2 percent from the free throw line. But the Trojans shot 78.6 percent at the free throw line the final two games.
- Freshman Maurius Hill led UALR shoot 66.7 percent from the field. Sophomore James White was second at 53.6 percent.
- Junior Devonte Smith led UALR at 67 percent from three-point range, but he only had three attempts. Hagins shot 37.5 percent on eight attempts.
- Junior Gus Leeper led UALR with 18 total rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds. Hagins had 16 defensive rebounds.
- Senior Will Neighbour led UALR at 13.3 points per game. White had 10.3 ppg while sophomore Kemy Osse was at 9.0 ppg.
- Hagins led UALR at 3.3 assists per game.
- Neighbour and Leeper led with 0.7 blocked shots per game.
- Osse was tops with 1.7 steals per game.
- The minutes were pretty well distributed throughout the three games. Junior J.T. Thomas played the most at 24.0 minutes per game. Neighbour played 21.7 minutes, White 20.3 minutes, Osse 20.3 minutes and Hagins 20.0 minutes.
BTH UALR Rebound: A major sigh of relief as UALR wins Canadian finale
Whew! Talk about a major sigh of relief.
A loss on the opening night to Calgary wasn't great. But it was the first game and a slow start doomed the Trojans.
A loss on the second night to Alberta could be explained. Alberta is among Canada's best teams and a likely contender for their national championship. Alberta lost to Arkansas State on Thursday before coming back to beat them on Saturday.
But another loss to Calgary would have been difficult to stomach. UALR made sure that didn't happen. The Trojans shot the ball terribly from the international three-point line in the tournament. So UALR pretty much abandoned that on Saturday. UALR made 2 of 7 three-pointers the entire game, one by senior Will Neighbour and one by junior DeVonte Smith.
UALR cut its turnovers down to 10 and outrebounded the Dinos 39-26. UALR also got to the free throw line, making 17 of 21. That's going to be the recipe for success for this team.
THE GOOD
Junior forward Gus Leeper finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocked shots. He made only 3 of 7 field-goal attempts but had 6 offensive rebounds.
THE BAD
Calgary made 8 of 19 three-pointers for 42.1 percent.
THE UGLY
UALR shot just 28.6 percent from the three-point line.
THE AMAZING
How about this night for freshman forward Maurius Hill? He went 5 of 5 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free throw line for 15 points. He also had 4 rebounds in 14 minutes.
STAT OF THE GAME
In UALR's big third quarter, the Trojans outscored the Dinos 12-3 in points off turnovers. UALR outscored Calgary 21-12 in that stat for the game.
IN IT TO WIN IT?
Junior J.T. Thomas played a team high 25 minutes. Ten of the 11 players saw at least 18 minutes of action. UALR started Josh Hagins, J.T. Thomas, Stetson Billings, James White and Will Neighbour. UALR was once again without Leroy Isler (back).
UP NEXT
UALR's next game action comes in the season opener in November.
Neighbour scores 19; UALR goes inside to beat Calgary
Senior Will Neighbour had 19 points to lead the way as UALR beat Calgary 81-65 in the final game of the Battle of the Border in Calgary. UALR finishes 1-2 in the three-day event.
One night after going 3 of 24 from three-point range, UALR flipped the script on Saturday night. The Trojans only attempted seven three-pointers all night (making 2) and dominated the paint (40-24 points in the paint) and free throw line (17 of 21 to Calgary's 11 of 13).
"We played with an edge, the ball moved, went inside, got to the foul line and rebounded the ball," UALR Coach Steve Shields told Burn The Horse via text after the game.
Freshman forward Maurius Hill added 15 points and 4 rebounds while sophomore Kemy Osse had 12 points and 4 rebounds. Junior Gus Leeper had 8 points and 8 rebounds and junior J.T. Thomas 8 points.
UALR outrebounded Calgary by 13 (39-26) while holding the Dinos to 37.1 percent.
Junior DeVonte Smith hit a late first quarter three-pointer to give UALR an 18-14 lead. Calgary rallied to take a 24-23 lead on a three-pointer by Jhony Verrone but the Trojans soon took control.
UALR regained the lead and increased it on back-to-back jumpers by Osse. Two free throws by Thomas made it 29-24. UALR led 35-31 at halftime.
UALR opened the second half with a quick three-point play by Neighbour. The Trojans finally got the lead to 10 points (actually 11) after sophomore Josh Hagins scored on a layup, then got a rebound at the other end and fed Thomas for another layup to make it 46-35.
The lead reached 23 points after a steal by Osse led to a jump shot by junior Gus Leeper and a 60-37 lead with 2:29 left in the third quarter. UALR led 60-43 after three.
Calgary never cut the lead to less than double digits in the fourth quarter.
UALR wraps up Canada trip with rematch against Calgary
UALR (0-2) vs. Calgary (1-1)
WHAT Battle of the Border
WHEN 8 p.m. Central tonight
WHERE Jack Simpson Gym, Calgary
AT STAKE These are exhibition games and do not count on the season record.
AND ONES These games may not count but UALR badly needs a victory if for no other reason than perception. ... UALR has struggled with the international three-point line in this tournament. ... The Trojans have also struggled when senior Will Neighbour has been in foul trouble. ... UALR has started a different point guard in both games so far. Sophomore Josh Hagins started Thursday and junior DeVonte Smith started Friday. ... Sophomore James White leads UALR in scoring at 12.5 points per game.
BTH UALR rewind: Friday's loss not shocking, but 0-3 trip would be
If you asked me before UALR left for Canada what their record would be on the trip, I'd have thought 2-1 would have been a pretty nice trip.
Now they'll have to beat Calgary on Saturday night just to get to 1-2.
It's not that surprising that UALR lost to Alberta, even more so with senior Will Neighbour's foul trouble. Alberta figures to be a contender for Canada's national championship. But the loss to Calgary was surprising. And another loss to Calgary would be equally surprising.
UALR has used all 11 available players extensively throughout the two games so far. No doubt that has contributed some to the results. But most of these 11 figure to be in the regular rotation once November comes. They'll need to play much better.
A return at 0-3 won't sit well until November.
THE GOOD
Sophomore point guard Josh Hagins finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 turnover in 24 minutes on Friday.
THE BAD
For the second consecutive game, UALR got dominated at the free throw line. UALR improved to 16 of 21 on Friday, but Alberta was 23 of 26.
THE UGLY
UALR was 3 of 24 from three-point range. That's just 12.5 percent. DeVonte Smith, Josh Hagins and Ben Dillard had the only three-point makes for the Trojans.
STAT OF THE GAME
5 Fouls by UALR's Will Neighbour, limiting him to 19 minutes.
BOUNCEBACK
Nice bounceback game for UALR junior Ben Dillard. After going scoreless on Thursday, Dillard had 11 points in 24 minutes on Friday.
IN IT TO WIN IT?
No UALR player saw more than 24 minutes of action. UALR's starting lineup was senior Will Neighbour, junior DeVonte Smith and sophomores Kemy Osse, Stetson Billings and James White. UALR once again played without senior Leroy Isler (back).
NEED TO D
Admitedly, UALR didn't spend much time working on defense leading up to these exhibiton games. The area where it's shown the most is at the free throw line. UALR sent Alberta to te line 26 times on Friday.
ZERO
UALR freshman Mareik Isom is considered one of the Trojans' best three-point shooters. But he hasn't gotten untracked at the longer international three-point line. After making his first three-point attempt on Thursday vs. Calgary, Isom has missed his last 11. That included 0 of 6 from three-point range on Friday.
DOUBLE UP
UALR sophomores James White and Josh Hagins are the only Trojans to score in double figures in both Canada games so far. White had 14 points on Thursday and 11 on Friday. Hagins had 10 on Thursday and 14 on Friday.
TURNING POINT
After 19 turnovers on Thursday (including several steps out of bounds) UALR had just 12 turnovers on Friday.
UP NEXT
UALR gets a rematch with Calgary on Saturday night. UALR lost to Calgary by three points on Thursday.
Three-point struggles, Neighbour foul trouble lead to second UALR loss in Canada
The adjustment to the international three-point line has proved difficult for UALR in its preseason trip to Canada. That was the case again on Friday as UALR lost 80-67 to the University of Alberta in the Battle of the Border in Calgary.
UALR shot just 33 percent from the field and made just 3 of 24 three-pointers (12.5 percent) on Friday. That coupled with extreme foul trouble for UALR senior Will Neighbour led to another Trojan loss.
The Trojans (0-2 on the exhibition tour) get a rematch with the University of Calgary on Saturday night as they try to salvage one victory.
Sophomore Josh Hagins led UALR with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Sophomore James White and junior Ben Dillard each added 11 points. Senior Will Neighbour was in foul trouble and limited to just 19 minutes. He finished with 6 points and 6 rebounds before fouling out.
UALR fell behind 23-17 after the first quarter and 37-32 at halftime.
Alberta shot 44 percent from the field, 44 percent from three-point range and made 23 of 26 free throws to earn the victory.
After trailing by as many as eight points in the first quarter, UALR rallied to take the lead. A three-pointer by Dillard and two free throws by Hagins gave UALR a 26-25 advantage with 6:44 left in the second quarter. But Alberta regained the lead on the ensuing possession with a three-pointer by Jordan Baker.
Neighbour then picked up his second foul and wen to the bench the remainder of the half as Albert upped its lead to 5 points.
Neighbour picked up his third and fourth fouls in a four-second span of the second half and the Trojans wilted when he went to the bench. Baker hit a jump shot and Shar Saffa and Joel Friesen hit three-pointers as Albert took a 45-32 lead. Neighbour didn't return in the third quarter, after which Alberta led 55-44.
Neighbour started the fourth quarter and was part of an 8-0 run in which he scored twice to cut the lead to 57-52. But Neighbour fouled out with 5:17 left and UALR trailing 61-54. The Trojans only get as close as 63-58 with 4:09 left the rest of the way.
BTH Gameday: UALR vs. Alberta preview
UALR (0-1) vs. Alberta (0-1)
WHAT Battle of the BorderWHEN 7 p.m. tonight
WHERE Jack Simpson Gymnasium, Calgary
RADIO None
TV None
WEBCAST None
LIVE STATS None
TWEETCAST With no info it's unlikely we'll have much. Check www.twitter.com/burnthehorse
POSSIBLE ROTATIONS
AND ONES
UALR is coming off a three-point loss to Calgary on Thursday while Alberta lost by four points to Arkansas State. ... Going in, Alberta figured to be the tougher UALR opponent at Battle of the Border. Alberta is considered one of the favorites to win Canada's national championship.
Leeper earns best +/- rating in UALR's loss to Calgary
Six of UALR’s 11 available players finished on the positive
side of the Burn The Horse Plus/Minus Rating during Thursday night’s 71-68
exhibition loss to Calgary in the Battle of the Border in Canada.
Leading the way was junior Gus Leeper, who had 6 points and
8 rebounds (5 offensive) in 19 minutes. UALR outscored Calgary 34-26 during
those 19 minutes, making Leeper a +8.
Sophomore Stetson Billings, who was questionable due to
illness, didn’t get in until the second quarter. He finished with 7 points and
3 rebounds in 16 minutes. And he was a +5 with UALR outscoring Calgary 34-29.
The others finishing on the positive side were:
- Junior J.T. Thomas +3 (51-48)
- Sophomore James White +1 (35-34)
- Sophomore Josh Hagins +1 (36-35)
- Freshman Mareik Isom +1 (28-27)
BTH UALR Rewind: Neighbour leads with 15 but UALR falls to Calgary
Going into these Canadian games, there was really no way to know what to expect from UALR. Canadian collegiate basketball has some different eligibility rules and plays by international basketball rules.
Still, I think most thought UALR would come out of there with three victories. Instead, the Trojans were doomed by a slow start in a 71-68 loss at Calgary.
A jumper by senior Will Neighbour cut the Calgary lead to 69-68 with :41 seconds left. But UALR couldn't get a defensive stop, allowing a dunk by Calgary's Matt Letkeman with 20 seconds left to make it 71-68.
UALR had three chances to tie it. Junior J.T. Thomas missed a three-pointer with 12 seconds left and UALR fouled. After two missed free throws by Calgary with 9 seconds left, UALR got the ball back.
Sophomore Josh Hagins missed a three-pointer, sophomore James White got the offensive rebound and passed to freshman Mareik Isom, who missed a three pointer at the buzzer.
Will Neighbour led UALR with 15 points and 7 rebounds while James White had 14 points and 9 rebounds. Both Neighbour and White were a bit limited with foul issues. Both finished the game with four fouls. White carried UALR early. Neighbour didn't score for the game's first 16 minutes.
UALR shot only 25 percent from three-point range and made just 6 of 16 free throws. That was magnified because Calgary made 21 of 30 free throws. UALR sophomore Kemy Osse made just 1 of 4 free throws while sophomore James White was 0-2 and Josh Hagins was 2-4.
UALR had 19 turnovers, way too many even for an exhibition game like this. Calgary had only 13.
Just to show the different mindset for these games. J.T. Thomas played a team-high 28 minutes for UALR on Thursday. James White played 24 and Josh Hagins and Will Neighbour each played 22. Calgary's leading scorer played 37 minutes. The Dinos had others play 34 and 28 minutes.
UALR outrebounded Calgary 29-25 and the Trojans had 15 offensive rebounds.
UALR played without senior guard Leroy Isler (back) and freshman forward Andrew Poulter (foot). Sophomore Stetson Billings was questionable (sick) after missing practice on Tuesday. Billings did play on Thursday, scoring 7 points in 16 minutes.
The biggest statistical disappointment had to be junior guard Ben Dillard. After getting the start, Dillard only attempted one shot and had no points in just 11 minutes. Perhaps he was injured.
UALR takes on the University of Alberta on Friday. Gametime once again is 7 p.m.
Still, I think most thought UALR would come out of there with three victories. Instead, the Trojans were doomed by a slow start in a 71-68 loss at Calgary.
A jumper by senior Will Neighbour cut the Calgary lead to 69-68 with :41 seconds left. But UALR couldn't get a defensive stop, allowing a dunk by Calgary's Matt Letkeman with 20 seconds left to make it 71-68.
UALR had three chances to tie it. Junior J.T. Thomas missed a three-pointer with 12 seconds left and UALR fouled. After two missed free throws by Calgary with 9 seconds left, UALR got the ball back.
Sophomore Josh Hagins missed a three-pointer, sophomore James White got the offensive rebound and passed to freshman Mareik Isom, who missed a three pointer at the buzzer.
THE GOOD
Will Neighbour led UALR with 15 points and 7 rebounds while James White had 14 points and 9 rebounds. Both Neighbour and White were a bit limited with foul issues. Both finished the game with four fouls. White carried UALR early. Neighbour didn't score for the game's first 16 minutes.
THE BAD
UALR shot only 25 percent from three-point range and made just 6 of 16 free throws. That was magnified because Calgary made 21 of 30 free throws. UALR sophomore Kemy Osse made just 1 of 4 free throws while sophomore James White was 0-2 and Josh Hagins was 2-4.
THE UGLY
UALR had 19 turnovers, way too many even for an exhibition game like this. Calgary had only 13.
IN IT TO WIN IT?
Just to show the different mindset for these games. J.T. Thomas played a team-high 28 minutes for UALR on Thursday. James White played 24 and Josh Hagins and Will Neighbour each played 22. Calgary's leading scorer played 37 minutes. The Dinos had others play 34 and 28 minutes.
BOARD IT
UALR outrebounded Calgary 29-25 and the Trojans had 15 offensive rebounds.
MIA
UALR played without senior guard Leroy Isler (back) and freshman forward Andrew Poulter (foot). Sophomore Stetson Billings was questionable (sick) after missing practice on Tuesday. Billings did play on Thursday, scoring 7 points in 16 minutes.
DISAPPEARING ACT
The biggest statistical disappointment had to be junior guard Ben Dillard. After getting the start, Dillard only attempted one shot and had no points in just 11 minutes. Perhaps he was injured.
UP NEXT
UALR takes on the University of Alberta on Friday. Gametime once again is 7 p.m.
UALR falls 71-68 in exhibition opener vs. Calgary
UC Sports Info
CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos opened up their season with a 71-68 win over NCAA Division I team University of Arkansas - Little Rock Trojans (UALR) on Thursday night at the Jack.
Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson led all scorers with 21 points, followed by teammate Philip Barndt who added another 14. For UALR, Will Neighbour led the Trojans with 15 points and James White scored another 14.
As the first game the 2013-14 Dinos team has played together got underway, Calgary got off to a hot start. With both teams working out the kinks early on, the Dinos took a nine point lead by the end of the first quarter with a score of 19-10. Ogungbemi-Jackson was in fine form from the get-go, scoring 12 points in the first.
In the second, a number of players were hitting threes for the home team including Jasdeep Gill, Josh Owen-Thomas and rookie Jhony Verrone. With a significant lead of 30-18, the Trojans were forced to call a timeout to regroup.
Despite a timeout, and White taking a team-high lead in scoring with ten points, UALR was unable to close the gap before half time. The Dinos led 39-25 after two quarters and Ogungbemi-Jackson had a game-high 16 points.
In the third quarter, the Trojans were slowly finding ways to chip away at the Dinos’ lead, including shutting down Ogungbemi-Jackson. Neighbour began to pick up the slack on UALR’s offence and they would find themselves within one half way through the quarter.
With things getting scrappy on both ends of the court, the Dinos and the Trojans started to pick up the defence as the scoring halted throughout the quarter. The Dinos would end the quarter with a lead of nine points at 54-45.
Point guard Ogungbemi-Jackson finally got back on the board for the Dinos, scoring another three pointer to add to his 16 points in the game. Both teams continued to fight, with UALR getting within two, but another three-pointer from Gill would put Calgary back up by five halfway through the final quarter of the game.
Both teams would go scoreless for almost a full two minutes before some foul trouble from the Trojans allowed for the Dinos to score some easy points down the stretch.
Coming down to the wire, the Trojans called a timeout with just 45 seconds left in the game and down by just three points. Despite an easy layup for Neighbour, the Dinos responded with a huge dunk from Matt Letkeman that got the crowd on their feet.
The Dinos finished off the game for the win by a score of 71-68.
Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson led all scorers with 21 points, followed by teammate Philip Barndt who added another 14. For UALR, Will Neighbour led the Trojans with 15 points and James White scored another 14.
As the first game the 2013-14 Dinos team has played together got underway, Calgary got off to a hot start. With both teams working out the kinks early on, the Dinos took a nine point lead by the end of the first quarter with a score of 19-10. Ogungbemi-Jackson was in fine form from the get-go, scoring 12 points in the first.
In the second, a number of players were hitting threes for the home team including Jasdeep Gill, Josh Owen-Thomas and rookie Jhony Verrone. With a significant lead of 30-18, the Trojans were forced to call a timeout to regroup.
Despite a timeout, and White taking a team-high lead in scoring with ten points, UALR was unable to close the gap before half time. The Dinos led 39-25 after two quarters and Ogungbemi-Jackson had a game-high 16 points.
In the third quarter, the Trojans were slowly finding ways to chip away at the Dinos’ lead, including shutting down Ogungbemi-Jackson. Neighbour began to pick up the slack on UALR’s offence and they would find themselves within one half way through the quarter.
With things getting scrappy on both ends of the court, the Dinos and the Trojans started to pick up the defence as the scoring halted throughout the quarter. The Dinos would end the quarter with a lead of nine points at 54-45.
Point guard Ogungbemi-Jackson finally got back on the board for the Dinos, scoring another three pointer to add to his 16 points in the game. Both teams continued to fight, with UALR getting within two, but another three-pointer from Gill would put Calgary back up by five halfway through the final quarter of the game.
Both teams would go scoreless for almost a full two minutes before some foul trouble from the Trojans allowed for the Dinos to score some easy points down the stretch.
Coming down to the wire, the Trojans called a timeout with just 45 seconds left in the game and down by just three points. Despite an easy layup for Neighbour, the Dinos responded with a huge dunk from Matt Letkeman that got the crowd on their feet.
The Dinos finished off the game for the win by a score of 71-68.
UALR vs. Calgary about to start
No video, audio or live stats for tonight's UALR vs. Calgary game. We will do our best to get updates via Twitter.
Www.twitter.com/burnthehorse
BTH Gameday: UALR vs. Calgary preview
UALR vs. Calgary
WHAT Battle of the Border
WHEN 7 p.m. tonight
WHERE Jack Simpson Gymnasium, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
RADIO/TV/WEBCAST None
TWEETCAST www.burnthehorse.blogspot.com
AT STAKE Preseason exhibition games do not count on season records
5 things to watch for during UALR's trip to Canada
Here are five things we’re watching for as UALR touches down
in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, this afternoon for three games in the Great White
North. They'll play Thursday vs. Calgary, Friday vs. Alberta and Saturday vs. Calgary.
Calgary missing some pieces going into matchup with UALR
Canada West Hoops reports the University of Calgary will be
missing some key pieces with it hosts UALR on Thursday night at Jack Simpson
Gymnasium in Calgary.
Thijin Moses, a 6-7 forward who averaged 17.1 points and 9.2
rebounds, left the team for family reasons. Recruit Josh Turner, a 6-4 shooting
guard who was once ranked in ESPN’s Top 100 recruits, hasn’t completed academic
requirements yet. And recruit Kingsley Robert-Ezenta also isn’t eligible.
One late addition to the Dinos’ roster os John Hegwood Jr.,
a 6-4 guard who played at City College of San Francisco. He was at one time
being recruited by Drake and Maine out of high school.
Calgary's most dangerous player appears to be 5-9 point guard Jarred Ogunqbemi-Jackson, who averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and 6.5 assists last season. Watch him in action here:
UALR will play Calgary on Thursday and Saturday and the
University of Alberta on Friday.
Learn more about the Dinos here:
Could this year's UALR Trojans be the fastest yet?
Could this year's UALR Trojans be the quickest team Coach Steve Shields has had? Early indications are that it might be.
Ever since strength and conditioning Coach John Barron arrived at UALR, there's been an unbreakable record of sorts. One of Barron's drills is the 300 shuttle run. And in Barron's time here, no one had done it faster than John Fowler and Shane Edwards. Until this year.
Fowler and Edwards, always competing against each other, had posted the UALR record time of 52.1 seconds. It wasn't bested until this year when sophomore Kemy Osse did it in 51.7.
The drill requires the athlete to run 25 yards back and forth (50 yards total) six times for a total of 600 yards. The player gets a five minute rest and then does it again. Their time is the average between the two runs.
In fact, this year marked the first time three players completed the drill in less than 53 seconds. In addition to Osse's time, junior Ben Dillard and sophomore Stetson Billings each had time in the 52s.
UALR looks to be more offensive on trip north of the border
 |
| Jack Simpson Gymnasium in Calgary |
UALR travels to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, next week where the Trojans will take on Calgary on Thursday, Alberta on Friday and Calgary on Saturday.
The NCAA allows teams taking summer trips to practice 10 times in preparation for the games. After practice today, UALR will use up practices 8, 9 and 10 on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The Trojans will then take the flight to Calgary on Wednesday.
It's difficult to know what to expect from the Trojans during these games. It's uncharted territory, being the first time UALR has taken a summer trip. But UALR Coach Steve Shields has taken a different than normal approach to these extra practices.
"I think it's been good," Shields told Burn The Horse this afternoon. "We've been trying to work a lot to become more comfortable offensively. We want our offense to be ahead of our defense."
That's pretty much the opposite approach to Shields' teams during his 11 years with UALR. Just don't think that means defense won't be a focus when official practice begins in October. At least for now, it's been a positive. Shields said the ball movement within the offense has been better than at any point last year.
Some of that credit has to go to the point guards: sophomore Josh Hagins and juniors Devonte Smith and J.T. Thomas. By the way, Thomas has returned from injury and is practicing again.
More notes leading up to next week's trip:
- Senior guard Leroy Isler has missed some practices with an injury. He will travel with the Trojans to Canada but a decision has not yet been made on whether or not he'll be available.
- Freshman forward Andrew Poulter is not expected to make the trip due to injury.
- UALR will wear practice uniforms for the trip. That's pretty standard among U.S. teams taking these trips.
Countdown to UALR's Canada trip on Burn The Horse
UALR Coach Steve Shields on next week's trip to Canada
"For a young team like ours that will have seven freshmen and sophomores, ten extra days of summer practice and three exhibition games are very important to our growth and togetherness. It’s very important that we maximize this time together."
Read more:
http://www.steveshields.com/latest.html
UALR will play at Oklahoma on Nov. 29
We can now confirm that the "regional Big XII" school is Oklahoma and UALR will play there on Nov. 29. Game time is 2 p.m. and the game will likely be available via TV.
UALR is 0-5 all-time against Oklahoma with the last meeting coming on Dec. 11, 1999, an 80-56 loss. The Trojans are 0-6 all-time at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.
UALR has lost to Oklahoma four times at the LNC. The Trojans also lost a pair of games at a tournament at Norman during the 1985-1986 season. That year, UALR lost to Southeastern Louisiana and Austin Peay to drop to 4-8 on the season. UALR would eventually rebound, advancing to their first NCAA Tournament and beating Notre Dame.
Oklahoma finished 20-12 last season.
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