University of North Texas Athletics
Mean Green Clicking, Looking For Win Against Western Kentucky
1/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (1/26/10) - Johnny Jones and the Mean Green are embarking on their toughest road trip of the year, starting with a showdown against the two-time defending Sun Belt champs, Western Kentucky. Tip off from E.A. Diddle Arena is slated for 7 p.m. and can be seen on Fox College Sports (DirecTV 617) or heard on the Mean Green Radio Network.
All five starters reached double figures for North Texas in an 86-78 win over South Alabama last Thursday. George Odufuwa and Eric Tramiel both tallied a double-double - a first for NT since the 2007 SBC Tournament semifinals.
READ THE FULL GAME NOTES
After a weekend break, the Mean Green heads to Bowling Green, Ky., to take on the Hilltoppers. WKU has lost four straight games for the first time since 2003-04.
Quick Hitters
- George Odufuwa upped his season averages to 11.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. That rebounding average ranks 20th in the nation and makes him one of just 24 in the NCAA averaging a double-double.
- Since returning from a wrist injury three games ago, Eric Tramiel is averaging 16.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. The senior has hit 20-34 (58.8 percent) of his attempts and has blocked a pair of shots as well.
- Western Kentucky leads the all-time series with North Texas, 11-2, including a 5-1 edge in Bowling Green, Ky. The Mean Green did, however, solve the riddle of E.A. Diddle Arena in its 2006 appearance at the facility. Keith Wooden hit the winning layup with just over five seconds remaining in December of 2006 to give NT its first win in seven tries in the facility.
- With 41 conference titles and a win percentage that ranks among the top 10 in NCAA history, Western Kentucky is one of college basketball's top programs. WKU has accounted for five of the last 10 Sun Belt regular season and tournament MVPs. Orlando Mendez-Valdez and Courtney Lee both led WKU to wins in the NCAA Tournament, and Lee went on to play in the NBA Finals with the Orlando Magic after being drafted 22nd overall.
- North Texas is known as one of the nation's deepest teams, but the starters carried the load in the win over South Alabama. Led by Eric Tramiel's 25 points, all five starters reached double figures, and scored 80 of NT's 86 points. It was just the third time in the Johnny Jones era (since '01-02) that all five starters reached double figures, and the first time since the 2007 Sun Belt Tournament championship game against Arkansas State.
- Western Kentucky has been stellar at home this year with an 8-2 clip at E.A. Diddle Arena, but fell in its last home contest to Middle Tennessee, 84-74. SBC Preseason Player of the Year A.J. Slaughter leads the way for WKU with 16.8 points per game, followed by Steffphon Pettigrew with 14.5 and Jeremy Evans with 9.7. Indiana State is the only other team to best WKU at home.
