One team is coming off a school-record season, the other was the Sun Belt Conference's biggest surprise through the season's first two months.
But little separates UALR and Arkansas State as the teams meet tonight at the season's midway point.
Each led by first-year head coaches, the Trojans and Red Wolves have identical records -- 11-6 overall, 2-2 in the Sun Belt Conference -- have allowed the same amount of points (1,163) and the series record is deadlocked at 28-28 since they joined the league in 1991.
And when they meet at 6 p.m. in front of an expected crowd of almost 5,000 at the Jack Stephens Center, they'll be playing for the same thing -- a bounce-back victory after a tough road trip to the East Coast that could pull them from the middle of the standings.
UALR split its road trip to Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina last week, while ASU lost both games., leaving the teams tied in the standings -- behind five teams with one or no league losses, and ahead of five teams with one or no league victories.
"You don't feel like there's a lot of separation in this league," first-year ASU Coach Grant McCasland said. "So every game is basically a one-game playoff series, it feels like. Every possession matters, every game matters. I don't think you ever look at anybody and think 'Well, that's a win for them.'"
The Trojans split their two games last weekend, beating Appalachian State before losing to Coastal Carolina, while the Red Wolves lost both of those games.
But first-year UALR Coach Wes Flanigan is still impressed with ASU's start, even after its recent slide. The Red Wolves were 9-2 after a victory at UCA on Dec 16, but have lost four of six games since. Two of those losses were to Minnesota and Alabama, but the last two came against league foes Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina.
"That didn't change my opinion at all about A-State coming in," said Flanigan, whose team beat Appalachian State, 76-78, before losing at Coastal Carolina on Monday, 66-63.
Flanigan, who was on the bench as associate head coach as UALR split its two regular season games with ASU last year, said his biggest impression of the improved Red Wolves lies in how they play. McCasland brought in eight new players, but Flanigan said returner Devin Carter is still his biggest concern. Even bigger is what he's seen as an improved mentality.
"I think they're together as much as any team I've seen from A-State in awhile," Flanigan said. "I think they play hard for each other. They look like they're having fun and competing. I think that's a direct reflection of Coach McCasland and the job that he's doing with those guys."
ASU went through a skid last weekend when it struggled offensively. The Red Wolves were held to less than 37.0 percent shooting in both games, which will likely need to improve considering what McCasland thinks of the Trojans' offense.
"They're doing a great job of throwing different things at you offensively," he said. "Their better basketball is ahead of them."
Both coaches said its too early in the season to discuss the importance of any one game. But both also believe much separation won't created over the next seven weeks of the regular season.
"You're going to see teams get better, you're going to see some teams get worse," Flanigan said. "Hopefully, at the end of the day, we're one of those teams that gets better."
Flanigan said he saw glimpses of that over the weekend when he shook up his starting lineup. In was guard Deondre Burns for offense and senior Stetson Billings for defense.
McCasland is hoping his team doesn't fall in a hole like it did last weekend.
"From a defensive standpoint, on the road, you've got to have such a competitive start," he said. "We learned some valuable lessons."
Up next
UALR VS. ARKANSAS STATE
WHEN 6 p.m. WHERE Jack Stephens Center, Little Rock RECORDS UALR 11-6, 2-2 Sun Belt; Arkansas State 11-6, 2-2 RADIO KKPT-FM, 94.1, in Little Rock, KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro
Sports on 01/14/2017