(05-19-2020 08:03 AM)RBL Wrote:  23. Little Rock Trojans
2019-20: 21-10 (15-5), Sun Belt regular season champion

The Trojans are four seasons removed from their lone season under Chris Beard, when they won 30 games and launched one of the sport’s coaching stars. Darrell Walker, however, got Little Rock back into the championship picture last season, locking up the Sun Belt regular season title and the No. 1 seed in a conference tournament that never happened.

The Trojans should have every chance to recapture the magic next year. Little Rock returns arguably the Sun Belt’s best offensive player in senior point guard Markquis Nowell and best defensive player in senior forward Ruot Monyyong. The pair of All-Sun Belt first teamers are joined by senior wing Ben Coupet (11.2 PPG, 4.7 APG) and junior forward Kamani Johnson (11.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG) to form a strong, experienced nucleus. They also have a number of breakout candidates in sophomore guards Jovan Stulic and Marko Lukic, and junior forward Nikola Maric, all of whom played solid contributing roles on the Sun Belt champion.

Walker has displayed development chops at Little Rock, helping guide Nowell from a dynamic, shot-chasing freshman into a still-dynamic, Player of the Year candidate who stayed within the rhythm of the offense to produce the most efficient offense in the Sun Belt. Walker talked to MMM in January about that growth from his star:

“Last year, he was more looking to score and I kept telling him you‘re not going to be able to play for me if you’re going to chase shots at 5’7.’’ You’re going to play 35 minutes and get shots in the rhythm of the offense, and he’s learned how to score in the rhythm of the offense and set his teammates up, and that’s a big chunk. He’s matured as a player.”

Counterintuitive as it may be with a 5’7 leader, the Trojans can field giant lineups, with nearly all other members of the rotation over 6’5. It could all set up for another banner season in Little Rock.


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