Razorback senior guard Chris Lykes (#11) from Mitchellville, MD works at the top of the key against Tennessee at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR.
Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - After escaping the 13th-seeded Vermont Catamounts, 75-71 in Thursday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament’s West Regional in Buffalo, N.Y., the fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks aren’t celebrating playing 12th-seeded New Mexico State instead of fifth-seeded Connecticut in Saturday night’s second round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
Paced Thursday by 6-6 Teddy Allen’s incredible night, the 27-6 Aggies of the Western Athletic Conference upset UConn of the Big East, 70-63 prior to Arkansas meeting Vermont.
Allen scored 37 points including 13 of 13 free throws against a nationally defensively renowned UConn team.
“They’ve got a star player who can create his own shot,” Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said of New Mexico State after Arkansas advanced over Vermont. “A very tough matchup in Allen. And they are very well coached. He (Aggies Coach Chris Jans) does a great job. They are really tough and scrap. New Mexico State has a great team.”
Musselman knows that after beating UConn the Aggies won’t be intimidated by Arkansas.
“New Mexico State is a really confident team,” Musselman said. “They’ve got a little bit of a head start on preparation by a few hours. I shouldn’t say preparation, a little more rest.”
For New Mexico State, Thursday’s triumph marked its first NCAA Tournament victory since beating Syracuse in the 1993 tournament’s first round.
“I know our fanbase has not been hungry for it,” said fifth-year Aggies Coach Jans said. “They’ve been starving for it.”
The Las Cruces based Aggies got it against a UConn team renowned for its toughness.
“Coach told us, ‘We are going to know if we're soft” Allen said. “That's what he said. ‘We're going to know if we're soft today.’ I just wanted to come out and prove we ain't soft.”
Allen averages 19.8 points per game and nearly doubled that against UConn. Listed as a 6-6 junior guard, Allen also is the Aggies’ leading rebounder averaging 6.9 rebounds.
Allen was the lone Aggie scoring double figures vs. UConn, but Aggies guard Sir’Jabari Rice enters Saturday’s game against Arkansas averaging 12.1 points.