RAZORBACKS & BEARS (cont.)

they reached out to us to see if we would be interested in playing,” he said. “It will be great to go back there. They have great facilities there now, very much upgraded from when I played there. I think initially it will be very strange, to be in that building and that atmosphere and not be representing Ole Miss. It will be very strange.

“But once the game starts, I think it will be like any other game. We’re going to have to have our guys ready to play hard, to play tough and to be competitive.”

The Bears will open the season by playing three consecutive days, which could be a challenge that early in the season.

“That is the challenge, that it’s three straight days,” he said. “Physically that’s not that big a deal. We practice that many days in a row all the time. But games are just a little bit different, psychologically and mentally. There is a little bit more focus when it comes to games. That seems to drain our players mentally a little bit more. That will be the challenge there.

Yeah, we’re going to try to scouting in between the games, but there’s not much prep to go on the floor beforehand.”

UCA will also get in another in-state matchup when they take on the Red Wolves on Nov. 26.

“I think it’s great whenever teams from within the state can play each other,” Boone said. “And I think whichever teams wins, it’s a win for both programs because we’re talking basketball with regard to the state of Arkansas. I think it’s a great opportunity whenever Arkansas teams get to compete against each other.”

UCA, which will release more fall semester nonconference games in the coming days, will open Southland Conference play on Jan. 2.

“Our coaching staff worked extremely hard to replace the two weeks of games lost due to the restructured season,” UCA director of athletics Brad Teague said.

“Of course, the game most will point to is the game versus Arkansas. It will be special for our fans and our state to have the first men’s basketball regular-season, in-state game featuring Arkansas in almost a century.”