*Telegram art on men..NT sees 2nd chance

[OldTimer]

UNT men see second chance with tournament

By Chad Conine

Special to the Star-Telegram

North Texas basketball coach Johnny Jones has a handy list of teams that have done what the Mean Green would like to do at the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

That is pull off an improbable run to get in the NCAA Tournament.

Jones said he saw a low-seeded Mississippi team make a surprising march to win the Southeastern Conference tournament when he was a player at LSU in 1981.

Similarly, Jones was an assistant at LSU when the 1986 Tigers became the lowest seed ever to advance to the Final Four.

"There are a lot of those," said Jones, who also referenced N.C. State's miracle run to a national championship under Jim Valvano in 1983. "It can happen and we certainly hope it happens for us."

The Mean Green fit the long shot role going into the conference tournament, having lost 13 of their past 14 contests. But there might be a glimmer of hope.

UNT (7-20, 2-13 Sun Belt) faces Arkansas-Little Rock (17-11, 8-6) in the opening round of the tournament at 8 tonight in Bowling Green, Ky. Earlier this season the Mean Green took the Trojans to overtime in Denton before falling 88-80.

If UNT advances to the second round at Western Kentucky's Diddle Arena, it would meet New Mexico State. Although the Mean Green lost to the Aggies in Las Cruces, N.M., 80-66 on Saturday, it defeated New Mexico State 82-75 in Denton on Feb. 1.

"The draw is very good for us," Jones said. "We get to play at a neutral site against a team we led here for most of the game during the regular season."

Jones said he also thinks senior guard Chris Davis' recent illness could be an advantage at the conference tournament. Davis recovered from a virus that forced him out of UNT's final two home games in time to play at New Mexico State.

He will be available at the conference tournament and he still has a chance to become the career scoring leader at UNT, especially if the Mean Green can extend their season to three more games.

Davis, who averages 19 points per game, needs 58 points to set a school mark.

"Hopefully, Chris has gotten some rest," Jones said. "The seniors want to continue to play. By doing that, we will give Chris a chance. But his big goal is to get into the [NCAA] tournament."

Sun Belt Conference

• Today-Tuesday, Diddle Arena, Bowling Green, Ky.

• Regular-season champions: Western Kentucky (21-8, 12-2) and Louisiana-Lafayette (20-8, 12-3)

• Tournament dark horses: New Mexico State (19-8, 9-6), Arkansas-Little Rock (17-11, 8-6), Middle Tennessee (14-13, 9-5)

• NCAA Tournament bid: 1 (conference tournament champion)

• Fast breaks: Western Kentucky won at Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 26 in what might have been a conference tournament championship preview. That the Hilltoppers host the tournament and enter on a nine-game winning streak might make them the favorite to defend their 2002 conference tournament championship.

Today's games

Denver vs. Arkansas State, 3 p.m.

Fla. International vs. New Orleans, 5:30 p.m.

North Texas vs. Ark.-Little Rock, 8 p.m.

-- Chad Conine

[Buford_Julep]

In 1990 Jimmy Gales took an NT team with a 3-24 record and a 7 game losing streak to the Southland Tournament. The Mean Green defeated McNeese St and Northwestern St before losing in the finals to NE Louisiana (now La Monroe).

[CMJ]

Buford, I remember that season. I was in 6th grade at the time(I think), and I really thought we were gonna go to the tourney with such a bad record.

I hope the seniors can get a victory or two to end on. Chris passing the all-time mark would be an added plus.

Can't wait for the game this evening.