Arkansas State basketball – both men’s and women’s versions – are experiencing a revival bordering on miraculous. The Women, picked to finished 13th in conference after having lost two of its stars to the Portal during the off season, are heading to their first NCAA Basketball Tournament in program history, facing off against mighty UConn, the legendary Geno Auriemma, and superstar Paige Bueckers. The Men, who delivered one of the program’s finest season’s in recent memory, is hosting a first round NIT game against St. Louis. The Red Wolves haven’t seen the NIT since 1991. A return after a 36 year absence should be a point of pride for the state of Arkansas.

A-State Women, the Sun Belt champion who deploy a somewhat unique five-on, five-off rotation, will be the only women’s team in the state competing in a major post-season college basketball tournament. They earned this distinction with electrifying play led by tenacious point guard Crislyn Rose, the sturdy paint defense of Nissa Sam-Grant and the three-point fire power of Zyion Shannon and Kennedie Montue. The Red Wolves nail nearly 11 three-pointers per game (10.6), ranking them third all-time in that regard.

Arkansas State, the 15th seed facing #2 seed Connecticut, takes on the Huskies in Storrs, Connecticut on Saturday, 1PM on ABC. If the Red Wolves women have ever played hoops before on national TV, it’s unknown to me. Count this ultra-rare ocurrance as another feather in the cap for head coach Destinee Rogers.

On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves men host an NIT opening round against the St. Louis Billikens, a team that has defeated Arkansas state ten out of eleven previous meetings. The last time A-State hosted an NIT game was 1991, when the Indians steamed Rice 78-71 en route to the tournament quarterfinals.

The NIT has evolved over the years, with both with the NCAA Tournament expanding and competing tournaments popping in and out of existence. However, Arkansas State’s invite to the tournament is remarkable nonetheless, underscoring a program turnaround that only head coach Bryan Hodgson and athletic director Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Jeff Purinton seemed to expect. After making the CBI semifinals last season, the Red Wolves get the tournament upgrade in 2025.

Much like the Women’s team, the Men’s basketball team is a marvel of long distance firepower from Joseph Pinion and Taryn Todd, plus razzle dazzle beneath the rim, courtesy of the trademark Izaiyah Nelson alley-oop dunks. The Red Wolves, who finished tied for first in the Sun Belt during the regular season, earned post-season exposure thanks to boasting a solid the highest NET in the conference 24-10 record with wins over NCAA Tournament selects Memphis, Akron and Troy.

Arkansas State’s portion of the bracket contains a number intriguing potential opponents – North Texas, Oklahoma State, Wichita State and SMU among them. Red Wolves tip off a 8:00 PM on March 18, and will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Will the state of Arkansas recognize this incredible moment? One wonders how statewide media would treat an Arkansas State upset over UConn or a long run in the NIT. So far, it has been rather lukewarm of the programs’ achievements so far, even though many of the participants in questions are native Arkansans – Destinee Rogers, Wynter Rogers, Joseph Pinion, Rashuad Marshall, Avery Felts, Derrian Ford, and Zane Butler among them. You’d think the state would view this as a big deal.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sun Belt Media