Burn The Horse: BTH UALR Gameday: Why is UALR playing St. Gregory's tonight?

BURN THE HORSE

We get this question a lot this time of year? Why is UALR playing a non-Division I team tonight?

UALR (6-3) hosts St. Gregory’s University (6-3) at 5:15 p.m. tonight at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock. Note that start time. The men are playing the first game of a the doubleheader tonight.

The answer to that question is pretty simple: Because the rules allow them to.

When I used to cover basketball for a living, I once asked a coach why they were playing some obscure NAIA opponent instead of more well known Division II opponent that would no doubt give them a better game? His answer was pretty simple and to the point. You get the same credit for playing the game no matter who the opponent is. And if you’re going to schedule one of these games, you better win.

True that. When the RPI is calculated, it doesn’t consider non-Division I opponents. So last year’s NCAA Division II champion counts the same way the worst team in NAIA does. And since the Sun Belt Conference allows its teams to play one game each year against a non-Division I opponent, most do.

UALR is no exception. The Trojans have faced St. Gregory’s twice and Philander Smith once in the past four years.

So what does UALR get out of it? They get a win. They get a chance to go through game-situations against an inspired opponent who wants to pull off the shocker. And if it goes well, UALR gets a chance to build confidence by getting extended minutes for players who might not have had enough chances early in the season.

As long as the NCAA and Sun Belt allow it, UALR will probably keep doing it.

BURN NOTICE

We wrote about it yesterday, but keep an eye on St. Gregory’s Fayzon Richey. He averages 24.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. He gets it done from the free throw line and both inside and outside the arc. This is a nice opportunity for UALR defenders to match up with a dominant player.

KEYS TO VICTORY

More than show up: The reality is that UALR has better players and should win easily. If that doesn’t happen, this will be a disappointment. But it will take more than just showing up to get that done. St. Gregory’s is a veteran team who will have a big year in NAIA.

Windex: UALR hasn’t rebounded the ball all that well. Tonight’s a night when UALR needs to dominate rebounding, setting the tone for Thursday’s game at Cincinnati.

Build confidence: We liked what we saw from Ben Dillard, Stetson Billings and Kemy Osse on Saturday night. We want to continue to see them build confidence. All three could play a role throughout this season.