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UNT notebook: Mean Green lose 2004 hoops recruit

White was expected to join team during semester break

08:35 AM CST on Wednesday, January 5, 2005

Chris White, a member of the North Texas men’s basketball team’s 2004 recruiting class, is no longer in the Mean Green’s plans, coach Johnny Jones said Tuesday.

White signed with UNT in April after playing for Moberly, Mo., Area Community College, but did not join the team in the fall because of academic issues. UNT left the door open for White to join the team at the semester break and work toward continuing his career. Those plans never worked out.

White, a 6-6, 280-pound forward, was expected to add size and toughness to the Mean Green’s front line that lost several key players after last season. UNT’s coaches were hoping White could also regain the form he showed during his high school career when he was named the Alabama High School Player of the Year by USA Today and was also selected the state’s Mr. Basketball.

White averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds as a senior in high school. He went on to average 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds while leading Moberly to the Region XVI championship and a No. 13 ranking in the final NJCAA Division I poll in 2004.

Losing White has left UNT’s coaching staff with at least one open scholarship for its 2005 recruiting class that already includes 6-8 forward Harold Stewart of Crowley and 6-10 center Justin Howerton of Howe.

UNT might have a second open scholarship, depending on the outcome of its appeal to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility for senior guard Leonard Hopkins.

Losing White was the first in a series of blows that have left the Mean Green short on depth in their frontcourt this season. UNT also lost 6-10 junior center Justin Barnett to a hand injury just before its holiday break.

The Mean Green have been forced to turn to a series of newcomers to fill the void, including freshman forward Quincy Williams. The former Carl Albert standout from Midwest City, Okla., has been a pleasant surprise since moving into the starting lineup and is averaging 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds a game.

Briefs

Football

Awasom to play in Hula Bowl

Senior defensive end Adrian Awasom has been selected to play in the Hula Bowl, a postseason all-star game that will feature some of the top players in the country.

Awasom will be a member of the East squad for the Jan. 22 game in Maui and will have a chance to improve his stock for the upcoming NFL Draft.

He was a first team All-Sun Belt Conference selection last season after finishing with six sacks and 13 tackles for losses.

Thomas named to freshman All-American team

Running back Jamario Thomas was named a freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and Scripps on Tuesday.

Thomas rushed for 1,801 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 10 games. The honor is just that latest in a series for the former Longview Spring Hill standout who broke the UNT and Sun Belt Conference single season rushing record held by teammate Patrick Cobbs.

Women’s basketball

Turnovers still costing UNT

A familiar problem haunted UNT throughout its non-conference campaign that came to a close with a loss to Texas A&M on Sunday.

UNT turned the ball over a season-high 31 times against the Aggies. The Mean Green have now turned the ball over at least 20 times in 11 straight games. UNT is turning the ball over an average of 2.25 more times a game than its opponents, a total that ranks 10th out of 11 teams in the Sun Belt Conference.

The problem is a familiar one for UNT, which ranked ninth in the Sun Belt last season in turnover margin when the Mean Green turned the ball over an average of 1.11 more times than their opponents

Junior guard Natalie Mireles is starting at point guard for UNT after playing sparingly her first two years in the program.

"We are trying to fix our problems with turnovers," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "When you play teams that are athletic like we did in non-conference play, they show you where weaknesses are."

UNT hopes to capitalize on series of home games

UNT has enjoyed a distinct home-court advantage during conference play since joining the Sun Belt in 2000.

UNT has posted a record of 21-9 at home in Sun Belt games, a record it hopes to improve when it opens conference play with a game against rival New Mexico State on Saturday. The Mean Green will play their first three games in Sun Belt play at The Super Pit, where they have posted a 3-2 record this season. UNT’s total includes a loss to Texas, which was ranked fourth nationally at the time.

UNT ranks among best on boards in Sun Belt

The Mean Green have struggled through an up-and-down non-conference campaign, but they have been consistent when it comes to pulling down offensive rebounds.

UNT ranks first in the Sun Belt with an average of 14.8 offensive rebounds a game. The Mean Green’s success when it comes to grabbing rebounds can be attributed in part to a deep front court and two players who are averaging at least five rebounds a game.

Sophomore post Mia Ajekwu leads the team with an average of 6.4 rebounds a game, while junior guard Erika Bobo is averaging 5.3. Freshman post Talicia Sanders (4.9) and sophomore forward Kelsie Edwards (4.4) are also averaging at least four rebounds a game.

Men’s basketball

UNT solid in conference openers under Jones

UNT will look to extend its history of success in Sun Belt Conference openers in the Johnny Jones era on Saturday when the Mean Green take on New Mexico State in an 8:05 p.m. road game.

The Mean have won two of their three conference openers since Jones took over as coach for the 2001-02 season.

UNT beat New Mexico State in its first conference opener under Jones and also picked up an overtime win over Florida International in the 2002-03 season.

UNT’s lone loss in a conference opener under Jones came last season when the Mean Green dropped a game against NMSU 70-67.

UNT led 36-34 at halftime before NMSU rallied for the win.

Hines among elite in Sun Belt

Junior Isaac Hines will enter Sun Belt Conference play against New Mexico State on Saturday among an elite group of players.

Hines is one of just four players in the Sun Belt who are averaging at least three assists and two steals per game. The Mean Green’s starting point guard is averaging 3.0 assists and 2.36 steals per game.

Hines ranks fourth in the league in steals and is tied for 13th in assists in his first season with the Mean Green. The former Collin County Community College standout has started for UNT throughout the season and is one key reason the Mean Green (7-4) are off to their best start through 11 games since the 1994-95 season.

UNT to face complete NMSU team in Sun Belt opener

UNT head coach Johnny Jones and the Mean Green expect to face a highly motivated New Mexico State team on Saturday, when the Aggies’ legendary head coach Lou Henson will return to the bench.

Henson was stricken with viral encephalitis, an acute inflammatory disease of the brain that caused paralysis in his right leg, three months ago.

Henson, who will turn 73 on Jan. 10, is just 22 wins short of becoming the fifth coach to post 800 career wins in Division I.

"They will definitely be ready to play with coach Henson coming back," UNT senior forward Mike Jones said.

Coaches show to begin

UNT men’s head coach Johnny Jones and women’s head coach Tina Slinker will be on the air again this season for their coach’s shows on Monday on KNTU-FM 88.1

Slinker’s show will air from 6:30-7 p.m. with Jones show to follow from 7-7:30 p.m.

The first show of the season will air this Monday.

Player of the week

Leonard Hopkins kept right on rolling after reaching an impressive career milestone last week.

The senior guard scored the 1,000th point of his UNT career in a loss to Chattanooga in the first round of the Dr Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. Hopkins scored 21 points in the Mean Green’s loss before coming back to score 20 in a win over Tennessee-Martin in the consolation game.

Hopkins is just the 16th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark in his career. His performance against Tennessee-Martin helped the Mean Green improve to 7-4 on the season, UNT’s best start through 11 games since the 1994-95 season.

Hopkins leads UNT with an average of 17.8 points a game, a total that also ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference.

Hopkins is also shooting 80 percent from the line and is tied for fifth in the Sun Belt in that category.

For his efforts, Hopkins is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT Player of the Week.