DRC Men's BB set for Angelo State

OldTimer · December 19, 2005

Men's basketball: UNT set for tough test vs. Angelo St.

07:59 AM CST on Monday, December 19, 2005

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

On the surface, North Texas’ game today against Angelo State looks like a mismatch stacked in the Mean Green’s favor.

UNT plays in Division I, one step above the Division II Lone Star Conference where Angelo State resides. Throw in the fact that the Mean Green are playing at home and it appears as if UNT should coast to a win at the Super Pit.

UNT’s coaches and players are convinced beating the Rams won’t be as easy as it sounds.

“Angelo State is a lot better than advertised,” UNT coach Johnny Jones said. “They only lost to UT-San Antonio by three and have transfers from Southern Miss and some California junior colleges.”

Those transfers have helped ASU run out to a 7-3 start. One of the Rams losses came when they failed to complete a furious second-half comeback against UT-San Antonio.

ASU outscored UTSA 46-39 in the second half, but fell short in its attempt to knock off a Division I opponent by an 81-78 score.

Quinn Barfield, a 6-4 guard, has helped spark ASU’s quick start by averaging 19.3 points a game.

The Rams also feature a pair of highly regarded transfers in senior forward Ronald Pittman (Southern Miss) and junior guard Turner Phillips (Baylor).

“Any team with a lot of transfers and a good coaching staff will be a challenge,” UNT junior guard Calvin Watson said. “You can’t ever go into a game underestimating your opponent.”

That is especially true for UNT in a game the Mean Green see as a potential turning point early on in the season. The Mean Green improved to 3-3 with a win over Nicholls State on Dec. 10 and can win back-to-back games for the first time this season with a victory over ASU.

“It helps a team’s confidence to be over .500 and put some winning streaks together,” Jones said. “When you do that, you develop a different attitude.”

Jones would like to see his team’s confidence continue to develop before the Mean Green face their biggest challenge of the season thus far on Dec. 23 when they host Houston. The Cougars are ranked No. 25 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll.

“We want to build some momentum going into Houston,” Watson said. “We know that both Houston and Angelo State will be tough games.”

UNT appeared as if it was building toward its game against the Cougars on Dec. 10, when the Mean Green hammered Nicholls State, 98-82, in perhaps their most complete performance of the season.

The Mean Green improved to 3-0 at home behind 21 points from Kendrick Davis. The junior guard has scored at least 20 points in four straight games and leads UNT with an average of 18.2 points a game.

Davis’ surge has helped the Mean Green win two of their last three games. The streak is one the Mean Green would like to build on heading into their game against Houston.

“We have gotten a lot better defensively, are more patient on offense and have better chemistry now,” UNT senior point guard Isaac Hines said. “If we continue to do what we do best, we will be ready for Houston.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

North Texas basketball

Angelo State at UNT men, 7 p.m., Super Pit, KWRD-FM 100.7

j0nat8an · December 19, 2005

man, what a sorry time to get a top 25 team to the super pit. absolutely everyone is gone home! i'm trying to get friends to drive up here from the garland area, but i doubt it will happen. oh the apathy!