Central Arkansas basketball to face Razorbacks a third year

Central Arkansas basketball will keep its rivalry with Arkansas going for a third straight season. UCA is set to travel to Fayetteville on Nov. 13 for a non-conference matchup at Bud Walton Arena.

The Bears and the Razorbacks have played every season since John Calipari took the head coaching job at Arkansas. Each of those games has ended in a win for the home team.

UCA enters this matchup off one of its better seasons in program history. The Bears went 22-12 overall and 15-3 in ASUN play under head coach John Shulman which was enough to claim the regular season title.

The Bears came close to reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a while. UCA lost to Queens in the ASUN Championship game which ended any shot at an automatic bid.

That loss won’t be forgotten anytime soon but it also showed how far the program has come under Shulman’s leadership. The Bears proved they can compete with anyone in their league.

A fresh conference home for Bears

UCA won’t be defending that ASUN title though since the Bears have already left the league. Central Arkansas is now part of the newly formed United Athletic Conference which began play on July 1.

The move to a new conference gives the Bears a fresh set of opponents for league play. The non-conference game against Arkansas stays on the schedule regardless of which league UCA calls home.

This isn’t the only in-state test the Bears’ rivals in Arkansas will face this season. The Razorbacks will also host Arkansas-Pine Bluff according to Golden Lions head coach Solomon Bozeman.

What’s next for Bears

UCA still has plenty of season left before facing Arkansas in November. The Bears will look to carry momentum from last year’s ASUN title into their first year in the United Athletic Conference.

A trip to Bud Walton Arena won’t be easy for the Bears given the Razorbacks’ perfect record in the series so far. Still UCA has shown it can hang tough against strong competition.

The Bears’ matchup with Arkansas remains one of the more anticipated non-conference dates on the schedule for fans on both sides. It’s a chance for UCA to test itself against SEC competition before conference play heats up.

Key takeaways

• Central Arkansas will play Arkansas on Nov. 13 at Bud Walton Arena for the third straight season
• UCA finished 22-12 last season under coach John Shulman and won the ASUN regular season title before moving to the United Athletic Conference
• The Bears remain winless against the Razorbacks in the series so far under John Calipari