Tonight's Game

[ntsumgspe]

Mean Green prepare for Ragin' Cajuns tonight

NT men try to win at home against Louisiana- Lafayette

Gabriel D. Brooks

Staff Writer

February 03, 2005

After splitting a pair of road games over the weekend, the Mean Green men's basketball team returns to the Super Pit today to begin its Sun Belt Conference stretch run against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Of NT's remaining nine contests, seven will be played in the friendly confines of the Super Pit. However, the Mean Green (10-8, 3-4) is currently 0-2 at home during conference play while compiling a 3-2 mark in Sun Belt road games.

"We've got to just get back at home and play well," head coach Johnny Jones said. "We fare pretty well out there on the road, but at home we've dropped a couple of games. This is a place we feel like we've got to get our win streak going."

The main problem for the Mean Green of late has been its shooting. Senior guard Leonard Hopkins is leading NT in scoring with 17.4 points per game, but his shooting percentage has dipped to 37 percent. As a team, the Mean Green's field goal shooting has fallen to 39.9 percent, while its opponents are hitting 43.2 percent of their shots.

"The guys that usually take the bulk of our shots have not been on target as much they have been," Jones said. "Those shots are just not going down."

However, Jones added that recent shooting woes are something the team will simply have to work through.

"If you don't shoot, it'll never have the opportunity to go in," Jones said. "I don't worry so much about slumps, I worry about guys understanding good shot-bad shot. When you start forcing shots and taking bad shots goes down." Jones believes that with junior center Justin Barnett back from an injury to his right hand that the Mean Green will be better equipped to work the ball inside for easier scoring opportunities.

"Justin Barnett I thought played well in his first game back at New Orleans," Jones said.

"Our field goal percentage has been down somewhat, but I think with his presence and him being back part of our lineup will give us an opportunity to run some of our offense through him. Hopefully our field goal percentage will go up because he's one of the higher field percentage shooters on our team."

Barnett played 41 minutes in his first two games back, averaging six points and five rebounds while connecting on 5-of-6 shot attempts.

Tonight's game tips off at 7 p.m. from the Super Pit.

[EagleChick03]

I'm excited.

[MrStrange62]

Roll Call!!

Im there!!!

GMG!!!

[JayDub]

I'm there...

[Pierow 2]

I'm there

[UNT_92_Fan]

I applaud u for coming out in the middle of the week

[Coach]

I will be there. But I hope you are sitting down for this....I'm coming from the metroplex...on a weeknight...and I am in the "real world" and have to work tomorrow morning. I had been doing this all season long, and never knew it was impossible to pull off until the last few days.

Edited February 3, 2005 by Coach

[Pierow 2]

I'm bringing an extra ticket if anyone needs one.

[Guest e-bone]

I know it doesn't mean anything since it's not a road game, but I'll be there.

[UNT_92_Fan]

Coach....you sure you can handle this???? It isn't even football season...it ended yesterday....HAHA