Men Set For Season Opener Tonight Drc

OldTimer · November 10, 2007

UNT set for season opener today

10:06 AM CST on Saturday, November 10, 2007

By Brett Vito Staff Writer

With all the shots North Texas’ guards rained from behind the arc on the way to the NCAA Tourn-ament last season, it was easy to overlook a pair of players that would otherwise be hard to miss.

Keith Wooden and Quincy Williams stand 6-9 and 6-8, respectively, and quietly played a key role in the Mean Green setting a school record for wins in a season while finishing 23-11 a year ago.

Each should be an even more prominent part of the Mean Green’s efforts to build on its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1988 beginning today, when UNT opens its season against Cameron (Okla.) at the Super Pit. UNT will raise a banner to commemorate its season before tipping off against the Aggies.

“When you return two guys like Keith and Quincy from a championship team who helped put you in position to win, that’s huge,” UNT head coach Johnny Jones said. “We have both of those guys and have another big guy off the bench in Harold Stewart who had a great Sun Belt tournament as well. We have some depth there.”

Williams started 27 games last season and averaged 10.5 points to go along with 7.1 rebounds a game, while Wooden started 29 games while posting 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.

Both were named to the Pre-season All-Sun Belt Conference squad as third-team selections. Only two other frontcourt players were among the 15 players named to the squad.

“I am surprised that they don’t get more recognition,” Western Kentucky head coach Darrin Horn said. “I thought the big difference on their team last year was they had athletic inside guys that brought them a defensive presence and some positive things offensively. They also had great guards, but a lot of teams in this league have great guard play.”

The difference the duo made was evident when either Wooden or Williams scored in double figures in four of the Mean Green’s five postseason games.Wooden helped UNT get off to a quick start against Memphis and finished with a team-high 16 points in the Mean Green’s NCAA Tournament game.

“It’s a good advantage for us to have two big post players,” Wil-liams said. “Keith has great touch inside and I can do all the little things like grabbing rebounds and playing defense.”

Wooden and Williams began to develop a bond on the court after Wooden transferred from Arizona State and sat out the 2005-06 season.

The pair worked together in practice and then quickly became a force in the Sun Belt last season, Wooden’s first playing for UNT.

Wooden hit a layup with just more than five seconds remaining to give UNT its first-ever win over Western Kentucky in the Mean Green’s second conference game of the year. Williams also hit several big shots and finished third in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage at 57.6 percent.

The duo could have an even bigger impact this season.

“It’s our senior year and our last go-around,” Wooden said. “We are going to be physical and demand the ball, but when we are double-teamed we are going to kick it out.”

Both will have plenty of dangerous guards to get the ball to, despite the top players the Mean Green lost to graduation after last season, including Sun Belt Con-ference Tournament MVP Calvin Watson.

Point guard Ben Bell averaged 10.8 points a game in UNT’s five postseason games and is back for his second season as a starter. South Florida transfer Collin Dennis will be eligible for the first time this season, while newcomers Adam McCoy and Josh White have been impressive in preseason practice.

“We will have good balance with our scoring,” Jones said. “Ben will take more of a scoring role and we have guys on the wings who can really shoot it.”

With Wooden and Williams down low, UNT will have a good base to work from in a pair of players who have developed a rapport in a short time.

“I love playing with Keith,” Williams said. “He is great to play with because he knows the game so well.”

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