2025–26 Little Rock Trojans men's basketball team
| 2025–26 Little Rock Trojans men's basketball | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Record | 4–9 (1–1 OVC) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Jack Stephens Center |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lindenwood | 2 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 8 | – | 5 | .615 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morehead State | 2 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | – | 7 | .417 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UT Martin | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | 9 | – | 4 | .692 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SIU Edwardsville | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | 8 | – | 5 | .615 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee State | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | 7 | – | 5 | .583 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southeast Missouri State | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | 6 | – | 7 | .462 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee Tech | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | 6 | – | 7 | .462 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | 4 | – | 8 | .333 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Little Rock | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | 4 | – | 9 | .308 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Illinois | 0 | – | 2 | .000 | 4 | – | 9 | .308 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Indiana | 0 | – | 2 | .000 | 3 | – | 9 | .250 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 OVC tournament winner As of December 23, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2025–26 Little Rock Trojans men's basketball team represents the University of Arkansas at Little Rock during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Trojans, led by eighth-year head coach Darrell Walker, play their home games at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Arkansas as fourth-year members of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Previous season
The Trojans finished the 2024–25 season 19–14, 12–8 in OVC play, to finish in a tie for third place.[1] They defeated UT Martin,[2] before falling to top-seeded Southeast Missouri State in the semifinals of the OVC tournament.[3]
Preseason
On October 14, 2025, the OVC released their preseason polls. Little Rock was picked atop the conference, while receiving twelve first-place votes.[4]
Preseason rankings
| Place | Team | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Rock | 188 (12) | |
| 2 | Southeast Missouri State | 177 (6) | |
| 3 | SIU Edwardsville | 163 (1) | |
| 4 | Tennessee State | 135 (1) | |
| T-5 | Lindenwood | 100 | |
| Morehead State | |||
| 7 | Tennessee Tech | 80 | |
| 8 | UT Martin | 79 | |
| 9 | Southern Indiana | 67 (2) | |
| 10 | Eastern Illinois | 63 | |
| 11 | Western Illinois | 57 | |
| (#) first-place votes | |||
Source:[4]
Players to Watch
Each OVC team selected two "Players to Watch" for their team.
| Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Kachi Nzeh | Forward | Junior |
| Braxton Bayless | Guard | Graduate Student |
Source:[4]
Roster
| 2025–26 Little Rock Trojans men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 17, 2025* 8:00 pm |
Arkansas–Pine Bluff Central Arkansas Tipoff Classic |
L 69–77 | – |
– | – | – | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | ||||
| October 28, 2025* 7:00 pm |
Arkansas Tech | W 72–67 | – |
18 – Gatkek | 9 – Gatkek | 4 – Gatkek | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | ||||
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 4, 2025* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Arkansas Baptist | W 92–63 | 1–0 |
17 – Tied | 8 – Lawson | 8 – Bayless | Jack Stephens Center (1,220) Little Rock, AR | ||||
| November 10, 2025* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Milwaukee | L 72–92 | 1–1 |
19 – Bayless | 5 – Wallace | 3 – Bayless | UWM Panther Arena (1,412) Milwaukee, WI | ||||
| November 12, 2025* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Marquette | L 49–89 | 1–2 |
16 – Burgess | 7 – Gatkek | 3 – Nzeh | Fiserv Forum (13,358) Milwaukee, WI | ||||
| November 15, 2025* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Ball State | W 68−62 | 2−2 |
20 – Wallace | 6 – Tied | 6 – Lawson | Worthen Arena (3,015) Muncie, IN | ||||
| November 18, 2025* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Murray State | L 68−89 | 2−3 |
17 – Lawson | 6 – Tied | 5 – Lawson | CFSB Center (5,079) Murray, KY | ||||
| November 21, 2025* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Texas State | L 56–65 | 2–4 |
14 – Wallace | 6 – Nzeh | 3 – Steele Jr. | Strahan Arena (1,180) San Marcos, TX | ||||
| November 29, 2025* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Southern Illinois | L 65–74 | 2–5 |
17 – Nzeh | 5 – Gatkek | 10 – Lawson | Banterra Center (3,309) Carbondale, IL | ||||
| December 3, 2025* 6:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at Central Arkansas Governor's I-40 Showdown |
L 47–85 | 2–6 |
19 – Wallace | 9 – Wallace | 3 – Bayless | Farris Center (1,470) Conway, AR | ||||
| December 6, 2025* 8:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Arkansas State | L 78–90 | 2–7 |
33 – Lawson | 5 – Tied | 8 – Bayless | Jack Stephens Center (2,691) Little Rock, AR | ||||
| December 9, 2025* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at West Virginia | L 58–90 | 2–8 |
23 – Wallace | 9 – Wallace | 4 – Wallace | Hope Coliseum (9,803) Morgantown, WV | ||||
| OVC regular season | |||||||||||
| December 16, 2025 6:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at Morehead State | L 64–78 | 2–9 (0–1) |
17 – Gatkek | 7 – Wallace | 5 – Lawson | Ellis Johnson Arena (1,042) Morehead, KY | ||||
| December 18, 2025 7:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at Southern Indiana | W 77–62 | 3–9 (1–1) |
21 – Nzeh | 13 – Wallace | 2 – Gatkek | Liberty Arena (928) Evansville, IN | ||||
| December 22, 2025* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Williams Baptist | W 98–81 | 4–9 |
29 – Lawson | 10 – Tied | 6 – Tied | Jack Stephens Center (1,335) Little Rock, AR | ||||
| January 1, 2026 5:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Tennessee Tech | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| January 3, 2026 3:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Tennessee State | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| January 8, 2026 7:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at SIU Edwardsville | First Community Arena Edwardsville, IL | |||||||||
| January 10, 2026 3:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at Lindenwood | Robert F. Hyland Arena St. Charles, MO | |||||||||
| January 15, 2026 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Eastern Illinois | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| January 17, 2026 3:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Western Illinois | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| January 22, 2026 7:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at Southeast Missouri State | Show Me Center Cape Girardeau, MO | |||||||||
| January 24, 2026 3:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at UT Martin | Skyhawk Arena Martin, TN | |||||||||
| January 29, 2026 7:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at Tennessee State | Gentry Center Nashville, TN | |||||||||
| January 31, 2026 3:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Tennessee Tech | Hooper Eblen Center Cookeville, TN | |||||||||
| February 5, 2026 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Lindenwood | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| February 7, 2026 3:00 pm, ESPN+ |
SIU Edwardsville | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| February 12, 2026 7:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at Western Illinois | Western Hall Macomb, IL | |||||||||
| February 14, 2026 3:30 pm, ESPN+ |
at Eastern Illinois | Groniger Arena Charleston, IL | |||||||||
| February 19, 2026 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
UT Martin | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| February 21, 2026 3:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Southeast Missouri State | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| February 26, 2026 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Morehead State | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| February 28, 2026 3:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Southern Indiana | Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, AR | |||||||||
| OVC tournament | |||||||||||
| March 4–7, 2026 |
vs. | Ford Center Evansville, IN | |||||||||
References
- ^ "2024-25 Men's Basketball Standings". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "Little Rock defeats UT Martin 82-77 in Ohio Valley Conference Tournament". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "SIUE and SEMO wins Friday night set up electric OVC final". Mid-Major Madness. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Little Rock Picked as 2025-26 OVC Men's Basketball Favorites". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "2025-26 Men's Basketball Schedule". Little Rock Athletics. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "Little Rock Trojans 2025-26 Regular Season NCAAM Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved December 11, 2025.