SAN ANTONIO — UTSA, winners of three of its last four games, will travel to North Little Rock, Ark., to face Arkansas on Saturday, Dec. 15. Tipoff for the neutral-site contest is set for 7 p.m. at Verizon Arena.
The game can be heard on Ticket 760 AM with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Roadrunners, Andy Everett, calling the action. The broadcast also can be heard live via the free iHeartRadio appand online at goutsa.com/Ticket760. There will not be a television or live video broadcast of the game.
UTSA Roadrunners (3-6) vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (6-2)
7 p.m. • Dec. 15, 2018
Verizon Arena • North Little Rock, Ark.
TV/Video: none
Radio: Ticket 760 AM (6:30 p.m.) | goUTSA.com/Ticket760
Series vs. Arkansas: 0-5
Headlines and Storylines
• UTSA has won three of its last four games and is 3-3 since sophomore guard Jhivvan Jackson returned from injury.
• The Roadrunners enter the neutral-site tilt in North Little Rock off a 104-74 win over Mid-America Christian [Okla.]. UTSA used a career-high 35 points and nine rebounds from Keaton Wallace, who drilled nine treys, to earn its first home win of the year. Jhivvan Jackson added a season-best 28 points.
• UTSA and Arkansas will be facing each other for the sixth time and the first since a 33-point Razorback win in 2014 in Fayetteville. UTSA and Arkansas faced each other in 1981, 1982 and 1984 before resuming the series in 2007.
• UTSA's first men's basketball game came on Nov. 30, 1981 vs. then No. 18 Arkansas at Hemisfair Arena.
• UTSA's offense has been spurred by the return of 2017-18 C-USA Freshman of the Year Jhivvan Jackson, who is averaging 18.7 points per game in just 19.5 minutes. Jackson is 20 of 49 from 3-point land, is averaging 2.2 rebounds and connecting on a team-best 26 of 29 free throws.
• UTSA is in its 38th season of basketball. The Roadrunners are 549-550 (.499) all-time, which includes four NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Reigning Conference USA Gene Bartow Coach of the Year Steve Henson is in his third year at the helm of the Roadrunners. Henson is 37-39 at UTSA.
• UTSA returns four starters from its 2017-18 20-win campaign, including junior point guard Giovanni De Nicolao, sophomore shooting guard Jhivvan Jackson, junior small forward Byron Frohnen and senior power forward Nick Allen. Sophomore point/shooting Keaton Wallace, who started 19 games as a freshman, also returns to bring UTSA's experience to 234 combined career starts entering this season.
• UTSA was selected fifth in the Conference USA Preseason Poll, as voted by the league's head coaches.
Scouting the Arkansas Razorbacks
• Arkansas enters the game off a home loss last Saturday to C-USA power Western Kentucky, 78-77.
• The Razorbacks opened the year with an overtime loss vs. Texas before ripping off six consecutive wins leading into the WKU setback.
• Arkansas has averaged 86.1 points per game and a plus-14.6 scoring margin. The Razorbacks have shot 47.8 percent from the field and 36.1 from behind the arc, holding opponents to a 38-percent mark from the field and a 30.5 percentage from three-point land. Arkansas sports a +0.9 margin in rebounding, is averaging 39.9 boards and 18.9 assists per game, and committing 12.9 turnovers per outing.
• Sophomore 6-foot-11 forward Daniel Gafford leads the team with 18.5 points per game, adding 8.8 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game. Freshman 6-5 guard Isaiah Joe averages 16.4 points and 2.8 rebounds, with sophomore 6-5 guard Mason Jones owning 14.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Roadrunners vs. Natural State
• This will be UTSA's 29th all-time game vs. a team from the state of Arkansas, owning a 9-19 record vs. foes from the Natural State.
• UTSA has played Little Rock the most amongst foes in Arkansas, owning a 5-11 record vs. the Trojans.
A win would ...
• Improve UTSA to 4-6 and give the Roadrunners winners in four of their last five games
• Make UTSA 1-5 in the series with Arkansas
• Give UTSA its first win over an SEC foe since the Roadrunners bested Texas A&M 80-75 in 2002 in College Station, when the Aggies were in the Big 12
• Make UTSA 2-2 in neutral-site gyms in 2018-19
Third season of the Steve Henson era
• The 2018-19 season marks the third of the Steven Henson era at UTSA. Henson, who came to the Alamo City from Lon Kruger's staff at Oklahoma, has guided the Roadrunners to a 37-40 overall mark to this point. Under Henson's tutelage, UTSA won a program-best 11 Conference USA contests last season and picked up UTSA's second consecutive Conference USA Tournament win. Moreover, Henson coached Jhivvan Jackson to C-USA Freshman of the Year and Deon Lyle to league Sixth Player of the Year plaudits in 2017-18.
Averaging a Point a Minute
• 2018 Conference USA Freshman of the Year Jhivvan Jackson made his return from a season-ending injury at the Gulf Coast Showcase on Nov. 19-21. The sophomore guard averaged 13.7 points in limited minutes (15.0 mpg) in the three neutral-site contests. Jackson drained nine 3-pointers and dished out five assists to help the Roadrunners to a 1-2 record, including scoring 21 on the strength of five treys to help UTSA to a 76-65 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on the final day of the tournament.
• In UTSA's win at Houston Baptist, Jackson went up to 21 minutes, collecting 21 points on a career-high 11 free throws. Days later in a rivalry matchup with Texas State, Jackson got off to a sluggish start but finished with a flourish, owning a team-high 22 points and connecting on five 3 pointers. In Saturday's win over Mid-America Christian, Jackson poured in 28 points.
• Jackson's 40-minute averages are staggering: 38.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He is averaging 0.96 points per minute.
• Since returning Jackson to the rotation, UTSA has improved its points per game average (78.2 from 74.7), field goal percentage (42.9 from 41.1) and 3-point percentage (35.4 from 31.1).
• The second-team all-conference selection set the UTSA freshman scoring record with 534 points and led the team with 18.4 per game. He shot 43.1 percent from the field for the season and tallied three 30-point, 14 20-point and 25 double-figure scoring performances.
Sophomore a Steady Scorer
• Sophomore guard Keaton Wallace has emerged as a steady scoring option for UTSA through the first nine games this season. The Dallas native leads the Roadrunners in scoring with 19.6 points per game and he has paced the team in points in five of the nine contests. Wallace has reached double figures seven times, including back-to-back 20-point showings against UC Irvine (23) and South Dakota State (21).
• Wallace was blistering hot in a win over Mid-America Christian on Dec. 8, setting career highs in points (35), 3-pointers (nine), rebounds (nine) and blocks (three). His nine treys marked the second-most in UTSA single-game history.
• In a matchup with rival Texas State on Dec. 1, Wallace logged a career high 39 minutes, collecting 19 points.
• A 2017-18 Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection, Wallace averaged 11.4 points in 35 games last season.
Elite Guard Play
• UTSA's two dynamic sophomore guards, Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace have shouldered the scoring load in 2018-19. While Wallace has been a fixture in the lineup, with team highs in minutes (33) and points per game (19.6), Jackson has returned from injury to come off the bench in the last six games. The duo is averaging 38.3 points per game, accounting for 51 percent of UTSA's offensive production per game.
• Since Jackson's return to the playing rotation on Nov. 19 vs. UC Irvine – the fourth game of the season – Wallace is averaging 22.8 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per outing, with the pair combining for 53 percent of UTSA's scoring punch over the last six games.
Frohnen near-double-doubles
• Junior forward Byron Frohnen has opened the season with five near misses at registering a double-double, missing by no more than three points or rebounds. In a win at HBU, Frohnen set a career high with 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting. In a thriller vs. Texas State, Frohnen grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds.
• Frohnen has totaled seven double-doubles in his 77 games and has missed 22 others by three or fewer points or rebounds.
Senior Spreads the Floor
• Senior Nick Allen has emerged as a threat from virtually anywhere on the floor, as the Surprise, Ariz., native is averaging 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game to go along with nine assists and five steals through the first nine contests. The 6-foot-8 forward is third on the team with 10 3-pointers and he is shooting at a 78-percent clip at the free-throw line.
• Allen opened the campaign with 15 points and eight rebounds against St. Edward's and he also has scored in double figures against Oklahoma (15), South Dakota State (12) and Florida Gulf Coast (13).
De Nicolao double-doubles
• Junior point guard Giovanni De Nicolao recorded his first career double-double in his 70th career game as the Italian scored 12 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds against Oklahoma on Nov. 12. De Nicolao made four shots from the field, including two threes, and connected twice from the free-throw line. His 10 rebounds consisted of two offensive boards and eight on the defensive glass.
• De Nicolao is averaging 7.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-high 3.4 assists per game this season.
Defending home court
• Under head coach Steve Henson, UTSA has posted a 24-10 record at the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners went 11-3 at home in 2016-17 and 12-4 in 2017-18.
• Prior to the last two seasons, UTSA last posted consecutive 11-win home seasons when the program went 11-3 in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 as members of the Southland Conference.
• The 1991-92 team was the last Roadrunners squad to win more than 12 games at the Convocation Center, finishing 14-1.
Seven New Birds
• Seven newcomers will don the UTSA Blue and Orange for the first time in 2018-19, including four freshmen, a sophomore and two transfers.
• The freshmen class is composed of Texas high school products Tamir Bynum (Lamar HS), Mateo Escheik (Prestonwood Christian Academy) and Austin Timperman (The Woodlands HS), along with Oklahoman Adokiye Iyaye (Oklahoma City/Putnam North HS).
• Sophomore Christian Plummer joined the team as walk-on out of Coppell HS.
• Junior college transfer forward Atem Bior (New Mexico Military Institute) is joined by four-year transfer Knox Hellums (Pepperdine) as newcomers to the junior class. Hellums is required to sit out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer policies.
Rodriguez's return to floor
• After suffering a season-ending knee injury in last year's opener, redshirt freshman Adrian Rodriguez is medically cleared for the 2018-19 season.
• Before suffering the injury, the 6-foot-7 forward from Tulsa, Okla., scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench against East Central.
• The 6-foot-7 big man played 12 minutes against St. Edward's in the season lid-lifter, collecting five rebounds and dishing out a pair of assists. He followed that performance with six points and four boards in 16 minutes against Oklahoma. Rodriguez recorded five points in 10 minutes versus UC Irvine and two points and two boards in the victory over FGCU.
77 straight starts
• Juniors Byron Frohnen and Giovanni De Nicolao are projected to make their 78th consecutive starts on Saturday vs. Arkansas. The first two signees of head coach Steve Henson in Spring 2016 have started all 77 games of their careers. Frohnen has started at both the small and power forward positions, while De Nicolao has been the stalwart at point guard.
3-Point Record in 2017-18
• After making just 172 3-pointers all of 2016-17, the 2017-18 Roadrunners set the UTSA single-season team record with 353. The previous record was 272 by the 2011-12 squad.
• The Roadrunners' 10.1 triples per game led Conference USA and ranked 19th in the NCAA.
• UTSA's 353 makes last season ranked fifth on the Conference USA single season list. The conference record is 375 by the 2007-08 Houston Cougars.
• Deon Lyle (who elected to depart the program to pursue a professional career in the Junior Basketball Association after his junior season), Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace lead the Roadrunners from deep with 96, 77 and 74 made triples, respectively. Junior point guard Giovanni De Nicolao made 36 and senior big man Nick Allen stepped out to hit 33 threes, which was 13 more than his first two seasons combined.
• Led by Wallace's 34 3-pointers, UTSA has made 70 threes through the first nine contests this season, an average of 7.7 per game.
746 straight with a trey
• UTSA has made at least one 3-point field goal in each of its last 746 consecutive games, which ranks as the 21st-longest streak in the nation. The last time the Roadrunners failed to connect from long range came on Jan. 5, 1994, in a 91-69 loss to Texas (0-for-6). To put the time frame in perspective: Bill Clinton had not yet completed his first full year as POTUS, Hero by Mariah Carey was on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Mrs. Doubtfire was the No. 1 movie in the box office and the Dallas Cowboys were 15 days from winning Super Bowl XXVIII, 30-13, over the Buffalo Bills.
Frohnen on the boards
• Junior forward Byron Frohnen leads UTSA and ranks fourth in Conference USA with 8.0 rebounds per game through the first nine contests.
• The Las Vegas native has reached double figures on the boards in two games with 10 in the season opener against St. Edward's and 11 at Oklahoma State. In a rivalry tilt vs. Texas State, Frohnen grabbed 12 boards.
• Frohnen's 560 rebounds in 77 career games is seventh on the UTSA career list. He sits behind Bruce Wheatley (1987-90) for sixth (668) in career history.
The schedule
• UTSA will play 13 non-conference games, highlighted by matchups against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Arkansas and three games at the Gulf Coast Showcase. In addition, the Roadrunners will face I-35 rival Texas State at home along with trips Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Houston Baptist. Also included in the 13-game non-conference schedule are home games against St. Edward's, Mid-America Christian, Bethany and Southeastern Oklahoma State.
• The Roadrunners open their 18-game Conference USA slate on Thursday., Jan. 3, against in-state rival UTEP. The Roadrunners will play 13 additional league games before the innovative bonus play schedule is implemented for the final four games of the conference season.
• The 2019 Conference USA Championship will be held at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The tournament commences on March 13 with the championship game slated for March 16.
Henson awarded contract extension
• The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved on May 1 a contract extension for UTSA head men's basketball coach Steve Henson that will run through the 2023-24 season.
• The contract extends Henson's original deal an additional three seasons and raises his base salary from $280,000 to $325,000 per year.
Up Next
• UTSA will have a quick turnaround for a tilt on Monday vs. Bethany [Kan.] at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The game will be broadcast live on CUSA.tv and on Ticket 760 AM, with the Voice of the Roadrunners, Andy Everett, calling the action. This will mark UTSA's second consecutive year facing Bethany after a 95-67 win over the Swedes in 2017-18.
