Arkansas will conclude its four-game home stand tonight. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the game...
No. 12 Arkansas (8-0) vs. Charlotte (4-3)
The Basics
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Tip off: 8 p.m. CT
How to Watch/Listen
TV: SEC Network (link to online stream)
On the call: Richard Cross and Joe Kleine
Radio: Razorback Sports Network (TuneIn / Razorback Gameday App)
Sirius/XM/internet: 81/81/81
Projections
-- Vegas spread: Arkansas, -17.5
-- O/U: 143.5
-- ESPN BPI: Arkansas has 95.9% chance to win, favored by 21.2
-- Bart Torvik: Arkansas has 90% chance to win, favored by 13.7 (proj. score: 80-67)
-- Sagarin: Arkansas has 92% chance to win, O/U set at 147.00
Scouting Report
~This will be Charlotte's first matchup with a ranked opponent since 2015, when it lost to No. 21 Miami (Fla.) 88-60.
~Despite coming off an abysmal 9-16 season, the 49ers were picked to finish seventh in Conference USA, a 14-team league. They are currently 4-3 on the season and that doesn't include a 76-65 win over Georgia in an exhibition game.
~One reason they were picked in the middle of the pack despite having a bad year last season is likely because of the return of junior guard Jahmir Young. He earned first-team All-CUSA honors last year after averaging 18.0 points and is off to a hot start this year, leading the team at 19.7 points per game and a nearly 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.
~Aly Khalifa, a freshman center from Alexandria, Egypt, has been named C-USA's Freshman of the Week twice this season, including on Monday. The second award came after he dropped 18 points on Davidson and followed it up with a 10-point, 6-rebound, 6-assist performance against George Washington.
~Even though he is the 49ers' big man, listed at 6-foot-11, 230 pounds, Khalifa appears to be a really good passer. He is second on the team with 26 assists and has only 10 turnovers. That is very similar to Arkansas' Jaylin Williams. In fact, Khalifa and Williams are two of only three forwards/centers listed at 6-foot-10 or taller who are averaging at least 3.7 assists and fewer than 2.0 turnovers in college basketball this season.
~After starting 50 games at Clemson over the last four years, guard Clyde Trapp decided to transfer to Charlotte and has become the team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder. He's averaging 12.3 points and 7.1 rebounds. Arkansas will have to be aware of him as a shooter, as well, because Trapp is shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point range on nearly 5 attempts per game.
~The 49ers have a pretty clear rotation of six players, all of whom are averaging 20-plus minutes per game. No one else on the team is averaging 10 or more minutes. Not surprisingly, they rank 294th nationally in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom.
