University of North Texas Athletics
Bright Future Ahead With CBI Run
3/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DENTON - No one thought North Texas men's basketball would get an opportunity to keep playing after suffering a tough first-round exit against Louisiana Tech 68-62 on March 7. Six days later, the College Basketball Invitational gave the Mean Green new life.
North Texas accepted an invitation to play in a post-season national tournament for the first time since earning an automatic NCAA Tournament berth in 2010. The first round opponent would be a trip to Vermillion, South Dakota to face the Coyotes who were coming off a Summit League championship loss to in-state rival South Dakota State.
The Mean Green would face a South Dakota team that was 13-1 at home and had tied the school record with 26 wins. The Coyotes came into the CBI with the best overall record at 26-8 and only lost at UCLA by three points.
"To get an opportunity to be playing in March is huge for our program," McCasland said. "This tournament will tell us who really wants to win and who loves to play."
McCasland knew his team was given a fresh start so he made the move to insert junior Jorden Duffy and junior Michael Miller into the starting lineup at South Dakota. Both players were starting for the first time this season.
Miller changed from shooting left-handed to right-handed in the shoot-around before the first-round matchup at South Dakota. Duffy had been riddled with injuries this season only playing in 20 games, missing 15. Miller hit four three-pointers and scored a career-high 19 points as North Texas routed South Dakota 90-77. Duffy also scored a career-high 19 and a new four-guard lineup emerged.
The Mean Green was awarded a home game in the CBI quarterfinals against 19-win Mercer. North Texas started the same lineup and raced ahead again with a 16-point halftime lead. Duffy set another career-high with 31 points off an efficient 11-for-16 from the field. It would turn out to be the largest margin of victory in CBI history at 29 points.
"We have had a tough year," McCasland said. "We have played a lot of close games at the Super Pit so it was a blessing to be able to play like this for our fans, students, and this University."
The high-scoring continued for North Texas picking up another double-digit 90-68 win in the CBI semifinals against Jacksonville State. The Mean Green earned three-straight wins scoring 90 points or more against division one opponents for the first time since 1990-91.
"If we're able to play in transition we're hard to guard right now," McCasland said. "I don't think there's anyone faster in the country than Ryan Woolridge and no one is shooting as well as Jorden Duffy, Roosevelt Smart
The Mean Green have literally shot the lights out in the CBI tournament and broke the single-game record shooting 70 percent from downtown (14-for-20) against Jacksonville State.
"The way we're sharing the basketball, it's not just transition," McCasland said. "We're moving it. We spread the ball around well. It isn't like one guy with 10 3s. They're all capable of that but we're sharing the ball well."
In three games the perception of North Texas basketball has changed from a decent first season to a chance to become one of four teams to finish their year with a win instead of a loss. It is showing students and fans what Grant McCasland was brought here to do and that is to compete for championships.
"It says a lot about how our guys have gone from trying to play hard and do what we've asked, to believing that we're going to win," McCasland said. "Stepping on the floor with an expectation that the way we've prepared and what we've done in practices will allow us to win. There
The revamped starting lineup is averaging 92 points per game as a team with 81.7 points coming from the starters in Smart, Woolridge, Duffy, Miller and Zachary Simmons. Duffy is averaging 23 points per game and has scored more points in the CBI tournament than his previous 12 games combined.
"We know what Jordan was capable of doing before he got injured," Smart said. "I'm glad to see how he's playing. He's healthy and playing really well for us. It gives us another option."
Duffy is also showing his play-making ability with seven assists and has hit a ridiculous 66.7 percent off 14-for-21 from downtown.
"Duffy is probably 80 percent of what he is capable of doing," McCasland said. "It has been a tough year for him injury wise and we knew in order to get him more minutes we had to start him so he could stay fresh. I am so excited to see him continue to keep getting better."
The best-of-three championship series begins on Monday, March 26, with a road game at the University of San Francisco before two potential home games for North Texas on Wednesday, March 28, and an if necessary game on Friday, March 30.
"Honestly, I've never been a part of one," McCasland said. "It'll be an awesome experience but it's not complicated. You prepare for one game and you have to approach it as a one-game season like you have to win to move on. Now we are playing for cutting down some nets and that is what we are going to do."
