The contenders
1. Arkansas-Little Rock
First-year coach Chris Beard has implemented a stout defensive mindset that has led the Trojans to the best overall record in the league. They won their first 10 games — five on the road — and only allowed one team to score more than 60 points in that stretch. Senior guard Josh Hagins leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, and he’s also averaging 12.2 points per game.
2. UT-Arlington
The Mavericks made some waves earlier this season when they knocked off Ohio State and Memphis on the road in a span of three days.