DENVER — Broken hand and all, Chris Beard is ready for his first appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a Division I head coach.
Beard and his UALR men’s basketball team met with the media and then held a short workout on the floor of the Pepsi Center Wednesday in preparation for the 12th-seeded Trojans' (29-4) first-round game against No. 5 Purdue (26-8) at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
On an interview room stage, Beard flashed a right hand covered in a splint, the result of a fiery locker room speech he made at halftime of Sunday’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament final victory over Louisiana-Monroe in New Orleans.