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Eagle-96 · November 19, 2003

New talent out to improve on UNT's seven-win total

10:34 PM CST on Tuesday, November 18, 2003

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

DENTON – North Texas faces a tough task – rebuilding without its top player from a season ago.

Chris Davis completed his career when he led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring with 19.0 points a game. He also ranked seventh in the league in rebounds (7.2 a game) and 10th in assists (2.96 a game).

Davis, however, couldn't prevent UNT from going 7-21. UNT coach Johnny Jones added several highly decorated newcomers in an effort to improve that mark.

Junior college transfers Marqus Mitchell and Michael Jones are among the newcomers who could end up starting. UNT should also get a lift from LSU transfer Shawnson Johnson. The 6-9 forward will be eligible at the end of the fall semester but isn't due back until January after hernia surgery.

Though UNT lost Davis, a few solid players are back. Senior forward Michael DeGrate is UNT's top returning scorer (8.7 points per game), and Leonard Hopkins started eight of UNT's first nine games last season before being shelved because of a foot injury.

E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

COACH

Johnny Jones (22-35 in two seasons at North Texas, 37-51 in three seasons overall)

LAST SEASON

7-21, 2-13 in the Sun Belt Conference West Division

STARTING FIVE

Player Pos. Ht. Cl.

Michael DeGrate F 6-8 Sr.

Top returning scorer

Will Smith F 6-7 Sr.

T-4 in school history in blocks with 50

Jerome Rogers G 5-10 Sr.