DRC article NT staying closer to home this

[OldTimer]

basketball slates

Season ends with SBC Tourney at Super Pit

09:02 AM CDT on Sunday, August 29, 2004

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

The North Texas men’s basketball team will be staying closer to home this season.

The Mean Green have 15 regular season home games scheduled for the upcoming campaign, the most UNT has played in Denton since the 1973-74 season. Throw in hosting the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the end of the campaign, and UNT will have a chance to make a run at the league title at home.

The high number of home games for the Mean Green highlighted the schedules that were released for both the UNT men’s and women’s teams this week.

"It’s a good schedule for us," UNT men’s coach Johnny Jones said. "We made an effort to go out on the road last year so people would return and play here this season."

The Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball tournament will also take place at the Super Pit, giving the Lady Eagles the home court advantage. The UNT men have not hosted a conference tournament since the 1988-89 Southland Conference Tour-nament, while the UNT women have never hosted a conference tournament.

Both the UNT men’s and women’s teams will face some of the top programs in the country while preparing for the Sun Belt season.

The highlight of the non-conference season for the UNT women will be a home game against perennial power Texas on Dec. 16. The Longhorns won the Big 12 regular season title last season.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to have the University of Texas come to the Super Pit," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "Hopefully, a Final Four team can bring much excitement to our university."

Texas is one of eight teams that advanced to the postseason last year on the schedule for the UNT women, including five that went to the NCAA Tournament.

UNT will face LSU on the road in perhaps the Lady Eagles’ biggest challenge in non-conference play. The Lady Tigers advanced to the Final Four last season.

The UNT women’s schedule also includes eight games against teams from Texas, including SMU, Houston and UT-Arlington.

The UNT men will also face Texas during a non-conference schedule that includes a game against Alabama. Both games will be played on the road.

"Texas and Alabama both have fine programs that will be ranked in the Top 25," Jones said. "Players look forward to those games. They will challenge them."

One of the trademarks of Jones’ tenure at UNT has been a solid record at the Super Pit, a trend the Mean Green hope to continue this season. UNT posted a 9-3 record at home last season and is 22-14 at the Super Pit in Jones’ three years with the team.

Both the UNT men’s and women’s teams are aiming for a longer run in the conference tournament this year after losing in the first round last season. The UNT men lost to New Orleans 91-89 in double overtime, while the Lady Eagles lost to Middle Tennessee 81-66.

The UNT women finished with an 11-17 record, their lowest win total since finishing 10-17 in 1997-98. The UNT men finished 13-15.

The teams will open the regular season with a doubleheader on Nov. 19. The Lady Eagles will face Binghamton at 5 p.m. before the Mean Green take on Angelo State at 7 p.m.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

UNT basketball schedules

Men

NOVEMBER

6 Cameron (EXHIB.) 7 p.m.

12 Southeastern Oklahoma (EXHIB.) 7 p.m.

19 Angelo State 7 p.m.

21 at Alabama 2 p.m.

23 UNC-Wilmington 7 p.m.

27 Lamar 7 p.m.

DECEMBER

4 TCU 7 p.m.

7 at Texas TBA

11 at UT-Pan American 7 p.m.

16 Southern 8 p.m.

22 Southeast Missouri State 7 p.m.

29-30 Dr. Pepper Classic Basketball Tournament

29 at Chattanooga TBA

30 vs. Tennessee-Martin or Birmingham-Southern Chattanooga, Tenn. TBA

JANURY

8 at New Mexico State* 8:05 p.m.

13 at Denver* 8 p.m.

17 at Florida International 8 p.m.

20 Arkansas-Little Rock* 7 p.m.

22 Arkansas State* 7 p.m.

27 at New Orleans* 7 p.m.

29 at South Alabama* 7:05 p.m.

FEBRUARY

3 Louisiana-Lafayette* 7 p.m.

5 New Mexico State* 7 p.m.

10 at Middle Tennessee* 7:30 p.m.

12 Western Kentucky* 7 p.m.

14 UT-Permian Basin 7 p.m.

17 Denver* 7 p.m.

19 at Louisiana-Lafayette* 7:05 p.m.

24 New Orleans* 7 p.m.

26 South Alabama* 7 p.m.

MARCH

4-8 SBC Tournament (Denton) TBA

Women

NOVEMBER

3 Houston Jaguars (exb.) 7 p.m.

10 Oklahoma Flyers (exb.) 7 p.m.

19 Binghamton 5 p.m.

21 at Houston 2 p.m.

27 at Sam Houston State 7 p.m.

30 at LSU 7 p.m.

DECEMBER

3 Hampton 7 p.m.

5 at SMU 2 p.m.

11 Louisiana-Monroe 7 p.m.

16 Texas 6 p.m.

20 at UT-Pan American 7 p.m.

22 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 5 p.m.

30 Texas-Arlington 7 p.m.

JANUARY

2 at Texas A&M 2 p.m.

8 New Mexico State* 7 p.m.

13 Denver* 7 p.m.

15 Florida International* 7 p.m.

20 at Arkansas State* TBA

22 at Arkansas-Little Rock* TBA

27 South Alabama* 7 p.m.

29 New Orleans* 7 p.m.

FEBRUARY

2 at New Mexico State* 8:05 p.m.

5 at Louisiana-Lafayette* TBA

10 at Western Kentucky* TBA

12 Middle Tennessee* 5 p.m.

17 Louisiana-Lafayette* 5 p.m.

20 at Denver* 2 p.m.

24 at South Alabama* TBA

26 at New Orleans* TBA

MARCH

4-8 SBC Tournament (Denton) TBA