University of North Texas Athletics
Rob Evans Coaching Tree On Display When UTSA Visits Super Pit Sunday
1/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
North Texas (6-7, 0-1 C-USA) vs. UTSA (5-6, 0-1 C-USA) |
DENTON - It's basically a family affair these days when North Texas and UTSA meet on the hardwood. Both coaching staffs share extended connections that date back decades, which will make Sunday's meeting special for Tony Benford and Co.
UTSA head coach Brooks Thompson and NT's Director of Operations, Jeff Luster, were teammates at Littleton High School in Colorado. Thompson went on to play at Oklahoma State, where NT associate head coach Rob Evans was an assistant coach.
Thompson and Evans later teamed up at Arizona State from 2004-06, where Evans was the head coach. NT head coach Tony Benford was also on that Sun Devil coaching staff as the associate head coach. Current UTSA associate head coach Dan O'Dowd was also on Evans' coaching staffs at Ole Miss and Arizona State.
Both coaching staffs will put their deep history aside on Sunday when Fox Sports Networks will air the tilt between the Mean Green and Roadrunners at 2 p.m.
Both squads are coming off a loss on Friday night. The Mean Green got a career-high 12-points from DeAndre Harris by the first media timeout, and the sophomore finished with 20 points. He will be eligible to play for the Mean Green on Sunday despite a flagrant 2 foul that caused his ejection from the UTEP game.
The Roadrunners are coming off a 67-52 loss at Rice on Friday. Rice shot 53.5 percent as a team and Marcus Jackson tallied 27 points. Rice hit 11 3-pointers. Jeromie Hill led UTSA with 15 points and four assists.
UTSA guard Keon Lewis is among the nation's best at getting to the free throw line. The senior entered Friday's game at Rice ranked 20th in the country in free throws made and 30th in free throws attempted. Lewis was 3-of-4 from the line on Friday at Rice, and is now 72-of-90 (80.0) on the year.
