Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans
Record: 29-4 (17-3 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Chris Beard (1st season)
Season Recap: After a 10-0 start to the season, the Trojans never took their foot off the gas as they tied the best regular-season record in the Sun Belt and claimed the tournament crown with a win against Louisiana Monroe. Arkansas-Little Rock boasts several 3-point shooting threats, with four players who shot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc and 39 percent overall mark from downtown.
On the other end of the floor, the Trojans limited their opponents to a field goal rate just less than 39 percent for the year. Their disruptive defense only seems to increase as the game grows deep, forcing almost 14 turnovers per game.
How they make a run: The ability to create turnovers should generate a lot of transition offense opportunities for Arkansas-Little Rock. If the Trojans can complement those with consistent firepower from downtown, they can pull off a classic 12-5 upset of fifth-seeded Purdue.
How they falter: Arkansas-Little Rock is not a very good rebounding team, and this hurts them against a Boilermaker squad that is one of the best in the country on the glass.
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