Up Next: UNT Mean Green (8-0)

[SoonerTraveler]

North Texas Mean Green (8-0)
Won 89-55 ... Angelo State
Won 93-48 ... vs. Humboldt St #
Won 78-73 ... vs. Portland #
Won 68-51 ... at Hawaii #
Won 102-53 .. TAMU-Com
Won 68-34 ... University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Won 74-63 ... Maine
Won 75-66 ... Saint Peter’s
Tuesday ..... at Oklahoma

# Rainbow Classic (Hawaii)

PPG ... Starters
16.0 ... Umoja Gibson (R-Fr; G; 6-1; 160) Waco / University High School
14.5 ... Zachary Simmons (So; F; 6-10; 235) Abilene, Texas
12.6 ... Ryan Woolridge (Jr; G; 6-3; 175) Mansfield, Texas
_9.9 ... Jorden Duffy (Sr; G; 6-1; 170) Salisbury, Maryland
_5.5 ... JahMiah Simmons (R-So; F; 6-4; 215) Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands

PPG ... Top Reserves
13.0 ... Roosevelt Smart (Jr; G; 6-3; 185) Chicago (New Mexico JC)
_8.6 ... Michael Miller (Sr; G; 6-3; 170) Michigan City, Indiana
_7.1 ... DJ Draper (R-Jr; G; 5-10; 165) Beford, Texas
_3.6 ... Mark Tikhoneenko (R-Fr; F; 6-10; 210) Moscow, Russia

Roosevelt Smart is UNT's best returning player, but he did not play in the first 7 games this November. He played 25 minutes in UNT's most recent game and scored 13 points.

Umoja Gibson is shooting .537 from 3-Point range (29-54). As a team, UNT is shooting .426 from 3-Point range.

Head Coach Grant McCasland (hired March 13, 2017)(Baylor, 1999)
https://meangreensports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=3&path=mbball

(EXCERPT) McCasland has taken Mean Green men's basketball to new heights after a 12-win improvement, fifth-most in the nation, in his first season. His 20 wins are second-most by a first-year head coach in school history and led North Texas to the 2018 College Basketball Invitational Championship, first national postseason tournament victory.

McCasland also helped North Texas break multiple team records in most points scored (2,828), total rebounds (1,451) and three-pointers made (302). Individually, Roosevelt Smart broke the school record for total points scored (742), three-pointers made (133) and was named CBI MVP under McCasland. Smart also earned second team all-district honors and all-conference. Ryan Woolridge broke the school record for most assists with 221, breaking a mark that was set back in 1976-77. Zachary Simmons took down the school record for field goal percentage at 66.2 as a freshman.

McCasland is an 18-year coaching veteran and arrives at North Texas after leading Arkansas State to a 20-win season for only the fourth time in ASU history. McCasland’s career winning percentage is an eye-popping 80 percent (at D2 Midwestern). The 20-12 record during his inaugural season at ASU was a 10-win improvement, which was the second-best turnaround in NCAA Division I basketball that year. Under McCasland’s guidance, the Red Wolves picked up eight non-conference wins over Division I opponents for the first time since 1990-91. McCasland has won 10 different coach of the year awards during his career.

Roster
https://meangreensports.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Stats
https://meangreensports.com/documents/2018/11/7/UNT_Season_Stats.pdf

#3 - Roosevelt Smart
https://meangreensports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=63

Latest UNT Game Notes
https://meangreensports.com/documen...B_Notes_vs_Saint_Peter_s_11_24_18.pdf?id=4401

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Last Year: Sooners Top North Texas, 82-72

http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=211687886

NORMAN -Trae Young posted the kind of run not seen in Norman since Buddy Hield led Oklahoma to the Final Four two seasons ago.

Young, a freshman guard, scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half to help the Sooners defeat North Texas 82-72 on Thursday night.

Young entered the game second in the nation in scoring average and third in assists per game. He followed a 43-point performance in a win over Oregon on Sunday by making 10 of 18 shots and dropping 10 assists against the Mean Green. He made 6 of 11 3-pointers but also scored on drives and found his teammates.

"He made a lot of good plays, as he has done in each ball game," Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. "He was attacking and effective in getting into the paint and finishing and did a lot of good things there."

The home crowd hadn't seen Young truly go off as a scorer, though he had double-digit assists in his first two home games. He helped the Sooners shoot 64 percent from the field in the second half.

He wasn't satisfied with his effort.

"I had three turnovers tonight," he said. "That's not good. I haven't played my best yet. I played OK. I played pretty good, but not my best."

Khadeem Lattin had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Sooners (5-1).

Roosevelt Smart scored 15 points and A.J. Lawson added 14 for North Texas (4-4). The Mean Green made 13 3-pointers overall, but just four in the second half.

Young went scoreless for nearly 13 minutes to start the game. He entered the game after a rest and hit two 3-pointers 40 seconds apart to give the Sooners a 30-22 lead. North Texas rallied, and the game was tied 38-all at the break. North Texas slowed the pace and made 9 of 17 3-pointers in the first half. Smart had 12 points and Shane Temara had 11 at the break.

"They made shots," Kruger said. "They made some shots that you know you thought wouldn't go in. But they kept making them, so we have to do a better job at guarding and making shots a little bit tougher."

Young went to work early in the second half, scoring seven points in the first four minutes to help the Sooners take a 47-40 lead.

Young got the crowd on its feet with a behind-the-back pass for an assist on a Christian James dunk that put the Sooners up 75-65 with just under four minutes remaining. He clinched the double-double on a lob to Lattin for a dunk in the final minute.

Box Score
http://www.soonersports.com/pdf9/5463122.pdf

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Expect a lot of zone defense from the Mean Green.

 

[OULad]

They are 8-0, but have beaten nobody. One of the softest schedules ive seen. If we play just an average game we should win by 10+.

 

[AdaSooner]

They are 8-0, but have beaten nobody. One of the softest schedules ive seen. If we play just an average game we should win by 10+.

I wouldn’t be so sure of that. UNT is shooting better than 42% from three as a team. Our defense has been good...with one exception: guarding three point shots. That worries me.

 

[WichitaSooner]

More than anything else, my biggest worry is focus. Sometimes these games can be a letdown coming off a tournament against very good competition in a place like the Bahamas. Very different coming home playing in a mostly empty arena against a team the fans won't be excited about.

 

[OULad]

I wouldn’t be so sure of that. UNT is shooting better than 42% from three as a team. Our defense has been good...with one exception: guarding three point shots. That worries me.

Sure that could be a worry, but that is one of the softest schedules in the country. We should pull away in the end.

 

[thebigabd]

They've been without their best player, who averaged 20 per game last year... Not sure if he will be back for this game or not.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Sooners Back Home to Host North Texas
http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=211781880

TUESDAY'S GAME BASICS - Back in the United States after going 2-1 at Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, Oklahoma (5-1, 0-0 Big 12) is set to host undefeated North Texas (8-0, 0-0 C-USA) on Tuesday. The matchup is the Sooners’ lone game at Lloyd Noble Center over a 29-day stretch and comes against an experienced Mean Green squad that has won 13 of its last 14 games dating back to last season.

Oklahoma has won 17 of its last 19 games at the LNC. The Sooners have won 133 of its last 140 non-conference games in Norman and 67 of its last 71. The Sooners are 41-4 at LNC against non-conference opponents under Kruger.

ON THE AIR - Tuesday’s matchup will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KOKC 1500 AM in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing. Chad McKee and Bryndon Manzer will call the action on Fox Sports Oklahoma and Fox College Sports Atlantic. Fans with proper cable verification can also stream the game on the Fox Sports Go App and FoxSportsGo.com.

TICKETS - Fans can take advantage of the Cyber Monday deals OU Athletics is offering by purchasing $5 tickets on SoonerSports.com/CyberMonday. Fans can also purchase tickets on the day of the game starting at just $10.

Tickets are available at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and online here. Lloyd Noble Center's north and east ticket windows will open at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

OU students will be admitted free to the game with a valid school I.D.

GAME NOTES:
http://soonersports.com/pdf9/5479744.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=31000

 

[coolm]

Sure that could be a worry, but that is one of the softest schedules in the country. We should pull away in the end.

why? why should we "pull away in the end"?

 

[sperry]

Wofford is beating the doors off of South Carolina. In fairness, Frank Martin has run that program into the ground 2 years removed from the final four, but it's still an impressive win for our early season opponent.

 

[CoachTalk]

Game day!

 

[sheepdogs1]

A rebounding edge is hopefully in the offing.

 

[coolm]

A rebounding edge is hopefully in the offing.

I agree with trav. they're gonna zone the stuffing out of us. especially after that last game. that should make our rebounding a little easier if we move our feet.

 

[AdaSooner]

Call me crazy if you want, but I think this is a game we could lose. UNT with all of those perimeter shooters reminds me of an Iowa State team we have had trouble with over the years.

I have been pleased with our defense so far, except for the way we have defended the three. Knocking down threes is a UNT strength. I’ll feel better if I see an improvement in defending the arc when the game gets underway.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Call me crazy if you want, but I think this is a game we could lose. UNT with all of those perimeter shooters reminds me of an Iowa State team we have had trouble with over the years.

I have been pleased with our defense so far, except for the way we have defended the three. Knocking down threes is a UNT strength. I’ll feel better if I see an improvement in defending the arc when the game gets underway.

Definitely a game we could lose if we aren't ready to play. UNT will try to slow the game down and hope we make mistakes defensively late in the shot clock. I'm still worried about the potential for a letdown -- first game back from the Bahamas, guaranteed to be a small crowd, and the next few games are all against bigger name and/or Power Five opponents. Texas Southern won at Oregon last night, and I'd bet a big reason why is because Oregon was not mentally ready to play.

 

[sperry]

Is the game going to be televised?

 

[MsProudSooner]

Is the game going to be televised?

SoonerSports.com says it's on Fox Sports Oklahoma.

 

[stormspencer]

OU favored by 9.

 

[coolm]

Call me crazy if you want, but I think this is a game we could lose. UNT with all of those perimeter shooters reminds me of an Iowa State team we have had trouble with over the years.

I have been pleased with our defense so far, except for the way we have defended the three. Knocking down threes is a UNT strength. I’ll feel better if I see an improvement in defending the arc when the game gets underway.

Not crazy at all Ada!! I remember them from last year and that Wisconsin second half still looms in the coach's minds.

Every single OU men's basketball coach referred to that Wisconsin second half as the 1/6 the team failed to play defense as they are preaching. So I can almost guarantee you that the 3 pt line is utmost on their mind. I am actually intrigued to see how intense they are running guys off the line and closing on shooters. I am betting on a very concerted effort to do so.