“I will personally buy 100 ticket’s and will start handing them out on Monday!” pledges Bryan Hodgson
On Wednesday, the most crucial game of the season for Arkansas State will be hosted in Jonesboro, and head coach Bryan Hodgson isn’t being subtle about the importance of fan support.
It is also fair to mention that “2 for $7 on 2/7” is a crazy good deal for a college basketball game, even if it’s for “upper level seating.” The opportunity to see this entertaining version of the Red Wolves – who seem to have equal love for popping threes and alley-oops – is essential viewing for hoop fans. A-State’s opponent for Wednesday, the Dukes of James Madison, sport the conference’s best NET (as of this posting, 63) and spent the entirety of the OOC season ranked in the AP Top 25.
The Dukes will likely be the top Sun Belt opponent the Red Wolves host this year (A-State travels to Boone to visit Appalachian State to close out the regular season). James Madison not only averages the most points in the conference (85.6) put also limits their opponents to the second least amount of points (a #nice 69 points). Terrence Edwards Jr., the Sun Belt’s reigning “6th Man of the Year” is bucketing 16.4 per Sun Belt game, and Boston College transfer T.J. Bickerstaff is gobbling nearly nine boards per game.
Still, the Dukes can be beat. Southern Miss surprised JMU the third conference game of the season, and Appalachian State’s oppressive defense has shut down the Dukes in both Boone and Harrisonburg. If you can beat the Dukes in transition, and if you can clog the space beneath the rim, you can hand JMU and L.
It helps that the Red Wolves are at home where they are 7-2 and have recently recorded double digits wins over Southern Miss and ULM – two teams to which they fell on the road. It is also a benefit that, in many regards, Arkansas State is currently playing some of its best basketball. Point guard Caleb Fields put 27 and 22 points in his last two home games, and he currently leads the Sun Belt in assists. Arkansas transfer Derrian Ford has become a major contributor beneath the bucket and drilling buckets, while Izaiyah Nelson has elevated his game as a shot blocker, rebounder and scorer. Local products Zane Butler and Avery Felts have become consistent perimeter threats, and there’s just something wild about watching 6’6″ forward Julian Lual nail three-balls.
The Red Wolves are not without challenges. Freddy Hicks Jr. is still hurt (word is currently mum on whether or not fans see him on Wednesday). Terrence Ford Jr. is out for the season. Team rebounding leader Dyondre Dominguez is fighting through an ankle tweak, and forward LaQuill Hardnett appears to have re-inured himself in the win over ULM. Injuries are taking a toll.
Still, the Red Wolves are currently 6-5 in conference and sitting sixth in a middle-heavy Sun Belt standings. James Madison (8-3, 20-3) will be Arkansas State’s first game of the season between the SBC’s trio of front runners – Appalachian State, Troy and JMU. Are the Red Wolves ready for prime time? The Dukes offer a real test.
Despite all the before mentioned excitement, attendance for A-State Men’s basketball has been decent, but not particularly spectacular. The Red Wolves drew 2,743 fans to F’N Bank Arena on Saturday for its revenge game against ULM. Typically, Arkansas State men’s basketball attendance is middle of the pack for the Sun Belt, well above members like ULM, Texas State and Coastal Carolina, but also well below basketball-hungry programs like James Madison, ODU and Marshall.
First National Bank Arena (its official name) is a big barn of a venue – equally made for basketball games, country music concerts, Christmas conventions and the occasional monster truck pull. What it has in multi-functionality, it lacks in intimacy. 2,700 fans at Jack Stephens Center at UA Little Rock looks fantastic. Not so much F’N Bank Arena, which seats more than 10,000.
But wouldn’t it be wild to see 10,000 wolves on Wednesday night?
PHOTO CREDITS: Carla Wehmeyer/Arkansas State
Howlraiser 