University of North Texas Athletics
Stellar Start Awaits NT Basketball Saturday
12/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Denton, Texas • The Super Pit (10,500)
Dec. 11, 2010 • 7:00 p.m.
Radio: KWRD 100.7-FM, KNTU 88.7-FM
George Dunham (PBP), Hank Dickenson (Color)
TV: NTTV - Denton Charter 22, Verizon 42
Live Video
Live Stats
Series: NT leads 3-1 • Last: NT 68-58 (Nov. 24, 2009)
Game Notes
DENTON, Texas - North Texas has a chance to join some of the elite teams in Mean Green history with a win over Jackson State on Saturday night, and NT has an ace in the hole in Kedrick Hogans. Tip off from the Super Pit is slated for 7 p.m.
Hogans has posted back-to-back career scoring performances. The junior tallied 17 at Texas Southern and topped it with his 19-point game at Sam Houston State. Hogans is shooting 77.8 percent (14-of-18) with 7.0 rebounds in the two outings. He leads the Sun Belt and ranks 41st in the nation with a 62.7 field goal percentage, and ranks fifth in the Sun Belt with 13 blocks.
North Texas has a chance to move to 8-2 on the year with a win over the Tigers, which would tie the 2008-09 squad for the best 10-game start since 1976-77. No team in NT history has ever started 10-0, but five squads began the year 9-1; 1976-77, 1975-76, 1952-53, 1922-23 and 1921-22.
North Texas leads the all-time series with Jackson State 3-1, but a shootout is nearly guaranteed when these two take the court. The series dates back to 1990, when the Mean Green knocked off the Tigers 118-115, which is still tied for the fourth-most points ever scored by an NT squad.
Last year against Jackson State, NT (3-1) held off a late flurry for a 68-58 victory over the Tigers (0-4). JSU cut the lead to four with 3:48 to go, but that was as close as it got. Eric Tramiel paced NT with 15 points and George Odufuwa tallied 11 with 11 rebounds for his third double-double. Garrison Johnson scored a team high 19 for the Tigers, going 10-for-15 from the free throw line. NT shot 52.2 percent in the second half.
Jackson State was tabbed by most publications to win the SWAC, including the conference's official preseason poll. JSU grabbed 11 of the 20 first place votes after finishing 17-1 in league play last year. Jackson State was upset in the first round of the SWAC Tournament, and fell to Mississippi State, 81-67, in the opening round of the NIT.
The Tigers are one of the nation's deadliest teams from 3-point. They have connected on 61-of-156 (39.1 percent) from deep, which ranks 46th in the NCAA. Jenirro Bush is the main culprit, hitting 21-of-49 (42.9) attempts. Tyrone Hanson is 16-of-46 (34.8) and Rod Melvin is 11-of-22 (50.0).
