DRC: Mens BB, MG look good heading into SBC opener

OldTimer · December 16, 2006

Men's basketball: Mean Green looking good heading into Sun Belt opener

North Texas sitting at 7-2 entering game at UNO

11:43 PM CST on Friday, December 15, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

North Texas' position heading into Sun Belt Conference play never looked so good to head coach Johnny Jones.

The Mean Green is nationally ranked among mid-major programs, has four non-conference road wins and at 7-2 is already halfway to matching its win total from last season.

That quick start is enough to convince Jones that the Mean Green has the potential for a special run during the Sun Belt Conference season that will begin today with a game at New Orleans.

DRC/Gary Payne

North Texas guard Calvin Watson (33) tries to keep the ball away from UT-Arlington's Roderick Epps during the first half of their game on Nov. 15 at the Super Pit.

"This is the best team, the best record and the most balance that we have had heading into conference play since I have been here," Jones said. "We have gotten better each game."

That balance has helped UNT post wins over Tulsa, Rice and Charlotte and move up to No. 17 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.

The quick start UNT has put together has the Mean Green believing it can live up to high expectations. The Sun Belt's coaches picked UNT to finish in a tie for second in the Sun Belt's West Division with UNO, just one spot behind Arkansas-Little Rock.

"This is one of the best teams we have had going into conference play since I have been here," junior forward Quincy Williams said. "We have really good chemistry."

Jones attributed UNT's quick start not only to it chemistry but also its depth. UNT has eight players who have scored in double figures at some point this season.

That depth became critical when senior guard Kendrick Davis was lost to a wrist injury after a loss to UT-Arlington on Nov. 15. Davis resumed shooting on Thursday, but will likely not be back until late December.

Fellow senior guard Calvin Watson has helped fill the void by averaging 15.3 points a game while junior guard Michael Sturns has come off the bench to average 14.2.

UNT appears as if it could have a chance to make a run at the best finish since joining the Sun Belt before the 2000-01 season, thanks to its veteran roster

The Mean Green finished third in the Sun Belt's West Division in 2003-04 with an 8-8 record and inched over the .500 mark in league play with an 8-7 mark in 2001-02. UNT finished fourth in the division that season.

UNT is the only team in the Sun Belt's West Division with a winning non-conference record heading into league play this year.

A quick start against UNO would go a long way to extending the Mean Green's season-opening run. The Privateers are not only one of UNT's key division rivals, they are also the only conference team the Mean Green will face before taking on Sun Belt powerhouse Western Kentucky on Tuesday.

"It would be big for us to start out with a win on the road," UNT junior guard Ben Bell said. "We have played well on the road because we have remained focused."

UNT will need every edge it can get against UNO, which leads the series 10-4 and has its best player back after a year off in Bo McCalebb.

The junior guard broke his wrist last season, but enters today's game averaging 25.6 points a game. McCalebb scored a career-high 36 in a win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday.

Bell and senior guard Rich Young will be among the players assigned to slow down McCalebb.

"We are extremely excited with the way we have played leading into conference play," Jones said. "We were able to go out on the road and get two victories out there. We are 4-1 on the road, which is very important."

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

Edited December 16, 2006 by OldTimer

MeanGreenBuzz · December 16, 2006

Great article. This will be a huge win for us. I hope C-Watt lights it up from 3 again tonight and Sturns drives a lot. We need those 2 to be on their game to get this win.