University of North Texas
UT Arlington
Mean Green Return To Action
12/1/2019 10:19:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Monday's game is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT from UTA's College Park Center. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and on the Mean Green Sports Network (88.1 FM & 95.3 FM) with Dave Barnett and Hank Dickenson on the call.
North Texas (2-5) is a week removed from its trip to Jamaica and the 2019 Jersey Mike Jamaica Classic when they took No. 15 Utah State to the brink but a late surge by the Aggies put a end to the Mean Green upset with a 68-59 win for USU. Umoja Gibson and Deng Geu combined for 39 points versus Utah State.
Since the Mean Green's last game, UT Arlington (4-4) split a pair of games away from home. They lost 58-57 to Furman on a neutral site and beat Elon 77-67 on the road.
This will be the 58th all-time meeting between North Texas and the Mavericks. The Mean Green have won 31 of the 57 previous meetings, including last season's 63-61 win in Denton. North Texas is on a three-game losing streak in Arlington and hasn't won since 2009.
ONE OF THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULES
Of the five teams the Mean Green have lost to this year, those five teams combined record is 30-3. Only Rhode Island has lost more than one game. They lost at No. 7 Maryland (11/9) and vs. LSU in Jamaica (11/24). North Texas' seven total opponents this season have a combined winning percentage of .744 (32-11). It's the 12th toughest schedule in the nation and toughest in C-USA. The schedule gets a little easier moving forward, the remainder of the Mean Green's schedule has combined .539 winning percentage (76- 65), which is the 209th toughest in nation. ESPN ranks North Texas' strength of schedule so far as the 49th toughest in the nation. Only Southern Miss has a higher rank of C-USA schools at 24. KenPom ranks UNT's schedule the 40th toughest in the nation and Southern Miss at 5th. When just looking at the defenses UNT has faced, KenPom ranks the Mean Green having played the 15th toughest schedule in the nation and toughest in C-USA.
THE RISE OF DENG
After a slow start to the year, grad transfer Deng Geu has averaged 9.2 rpg over the Mean Green's last four games. He is also averaging 12.0 ppg over the last four games. He is averaging 9.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg on the year.
THE BEST SCORING DEFENSE
North Texas' defense is allowing just 58.4 points per game, which is tied with UAB for the best in C-USA and is tied for the 20th best in the nation.
While the Mean Green's scoring defense has been impressive, two of their first seven opponents have scoring defenses that rank even better. Arkansas has the third-best scoring defense in the nation and is giving up just 50.0 ppg, Eastern Michigan is the fifth-best scoring defense and is giving up just 51.5 ppg.
TURNOVERS DOWN
In North Texas' first four games of the year they averaged 18.25 turnovers per game. In the three games since then, the Mean Green are averaging just 13.3 turnovers per game. In their most recent game, point guard Javion Hamlet had zero turnovers. It was the first time this year he didn't have a turnover.
3-POINTERS ARE KEY
In North Texas' two wins this year they shot 50 percent or better from deep. They were 9-18 (.500) versus Oklahoma Christian (11/5) and 11-21 (.524) versus NC A&T (11/19). In all five losses combined, UNT is shooting 26 percent from deep (30-113). Its best showing in a loss was on 11/16 versus Eastern Michigan when they shot 40 percent (8-20) from deep but still lost 56-51. During its current two-game losing streak, UNT is shooting 23 percent from deep (12-51).
LEADING MAN
North Texas' Umoja Gibson leads the Mean Green in points (96), field goals made (33), field goals attempted (79), 3FGs (18), 3FG attempted (46), assists (19) and minutes (215).
He is just one steal (8) and one free throw (12) away from also leading in those categories.
FIVE OR MORE
Since the start of last season, North Texas is 14-4 when Zachary Simmons makes five or more field goals in a game.
They are 1-0 this season. He went 6-for-9 versus Oklahoma Christian in the season opening 79-40 win.
