SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS
After a 10-19 season last year, Central Arkansas is 1-1 heading into
its showdown with Kansas. UCA, located in Conway, Ark., opened the
season with a 68-40 victory over cross-town rival Hendrix College on
Nov. 13 before losing to Tennessee Tech, 71-67, in its first-round game
of the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase on Monday. Both home games drew
over 1,000 fans, a far cry from what the Bears will experience in front
of 16,300 KU fans in Allen Fieldhouse.
Six-foot-one senior guard Mike Pouncy leads four players in double
figures with 12 points per game, followed by 6-7 reserve junior forward
Tadre Sheppard (11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and five steals), 6-0 foot junior
guard Jared Rehmel (11.0 ppg, 5 threes), 6-8, 250-pound junior center
Carlos Dos Santos (10.0 ppg, team-high four blocks), 6-6 senior forward
Mitch Rueter (8.5 ppg, team-high 8.5 rpg), 6-7 junior center Chris Williams (5.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg), and 6-2 junior guard Imad Qahwash (4.5
ppg, 4.5 rpg) .
UCA is averaging 67.5 points and allowing 55.5 ppg.
The Bears, members of the Southland Conference, are in the final season
of their five-year transition to NCAA Division I.
Head coach Rand Chappell said the five-year process has been a
long journey.
“Particularly as a coaching staff, as we’ve moved through the five-year
process, it’s been a long, slow, tough trip,’ Chappell said. “We’ve had
some success along the way and we’ve won some good games, but there’s
no question it’s tough on everybody involved with the program.
“I felt like this past year, for the first time, we were able to go
into some head-to-head (recruiting) battles and get some guys to come
to UCA. I think the only thing that had been stopping us before, when
it got down to decision time, was that every kid dreams of playing in
the NCAA tournament and having that opportunity. And that was something
we didn’t have to offer in a close call. I think our recruiting got
better and our acceptance is getting better and better every time we
talk to people.
“I know whenever our last game this season is over in March, I think
we’ll feel like the handcuffs are totally off and we’re ready to go.”
The Bears have not been eligible for postseason play during their
transition to NCAA Division I, and will finally get their opportunity
next year. UCA, meanwhile, will keep fighting this season and get great
opportunities playing the likes of Kansas and Memphis (Nov. 24).
“Obviously for the players, it’s something they dream about, when
you’re out shooting in your yard growing up, to play at places like
Allen Fieldhouse,” Chappell said. “We talked about it five years ago,
without a chance to go to the NCAA tournament, we thought it was
important to give our guys, maybe not the exact NCAA
tournament experience, but the opportunity to play some of
the top programs in big venues. And I think we’ve been consistent with
that throughout this process.
“We’re looking forward to those games.”
Now in his seventh year at UCA, Chappell has a 96-84 mark in Conway.
Overall, Chappell has posted a 294-146 career record.
MOVING ON UP
Kansas senior guard Sherron Collins is now tied with Adonis Jordan for
seventh place on the all-time KU 3-point attempt list with 437. With
two steals against Memphis, he also moved into 23rd place on the
all-time school list for steals with 109...Junior center Cole Aldrich
recorded five blocks vs. Memphis, passing Paul “Big Mo” Mokeski for
11th place on the all-time list with 137.
FIRST UP
This is the first meeting between Kansas and Central Arkansas. KU has
faced just one other Southland Conference team, Texas-San Antonio, on
Dec. 23, 1990 in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won, 103-69.
MOST FAMOUS BEAR
Former NBA great Scottie Pippen is the most famous athlete in UCA
school history. A 6-2 walk-on his first year, Pippen grew to 6-7 his
sophomore season and starred the next three seasons. He was the fifth
overall selection in the 1987 NBA Draft by Seattle, then traded to the
Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice.
Good move, Bulls.
Polynice became a journeyman center, while Pippen teamed with Michael Jordan to win six world championships in Chicago. Pippen, who also
played for the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, was voted
one of the NBA’s Top 50 players of all time after retirement.
HAPPY #90TH BIRTHDAY TO
YOU!
Friday, Nov. 20 marks the 90th birthday for former KU great Howard
Engleman. The Salina, Kan., native was a first-team consensus
All-American in 1941, and his jersey hangs in the Allen Fieldhouse
rafters. Engleman is the sole survivor of the 1940 National
Championship runner-up team.
A former student body president, decorated war veteran, KU Law School
graduate, and president of the KU Alumni Association, Engleman laid the
cornerstone for the Memorial Campanile and was the Kansas basketball
head coach when Phog Allen was unable to coach all of the 1947 season.
Phog.net wishes the very personable Mr. Engleman a very happy birthday,
and many more.
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