University of North Texas Athletics
Saturday, February 9
The Super Pit
5 PM
University of North Texas
vs
Western Kentucky
Mean Green Host WKU, Bonus Play Update
2/9/2019 12:54:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GAME NOTES
DENTON — The North Texas men's basketball team on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. plays its final home game before Bonus Play when it hosts preseason Conference USA favorite Western Kentucky at the Super Pit.Â
Saturday's game will be streamed on Facebook through Stadium, Jason Knapp (PxP), Dani Klupinger and sideline reporter Kristin Balboni will broadcast the game. Click here to watch the game.
On the radio, fans can listen to the Mean Green Sports Network on KHYI 95.3 FM or through the tuneIN app. The voice of the Mean Green, Dave Barnett and Hank Dickenson, will be on the call.
The Mean Green (20-4, 8-3 C-USA) enter Saturday's matchup with three games remaining before they start the Bonus Play portion of their schedule. Following their game against the Hilltoppers (14-10, 7-4 C-USA), UNT travels to South Florida next week to play at Florida Atlantic on Feb. 14 and at FIU on Feb. 16.
Bonus Play is a new schedule format that is being initiated by C-USA this season. After the conclusion of the first seven weeks of conference play, the 14 C-USA teams will be placed in one of three groups based on conference standings at that point. The teams will be divided into two groups of five (1-5 and 6-10) and a group of four (11-14). During the final three weeks, teams will play within their respective grouping for the last four games of conference play, pinning the top five teams up against each other for one more meeting.Â
Home and away games within the groups will be determined by a preset formula.
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Once all 18 games have been completed, the top 12 teams based on final league standings will be seeded in the conference tournament. Teams will be guaranteed seeding within their respective group. For example, if a program lands in the second group (6-10), it will seed no higher than six and no lower than 10 in the tournament field.
Prior to Saturday's game with WKU, the Mean Green and the Hilltoppers are currently slotted in the top group (1-5). With an 8-3 conference record, North Texas is in a tie for second-place with UTSA. However, the Roadrunners own the tiebreaker over the Mean Green after they beat UNT 76-74 in San Antonio on Jan. 12.Â
Meanwhile WKU currently sits alone in fourth with a 7-4 conference record.Â
As of Saturday morning there is a three-way tie for the final top pod spot of fifth-place with Southern Miss, UAB and Marshall who are all 6-5 in conference. Though, the Golden Eagles have victories over both UAB and Marshall. The Blazers and Thundering Herd meet on Feb. 14 in Huntington, West Virginia.Â
North Texas beat Marshall on Thursday, 78-51. They also beat Southern Miss, 65-62, on Jan. 5. They lost to UAB on Jan. 24, 52-49.
The Hilltoppers are one of the most talented teams in C-USA and feature freshman Charles Bassey. WKU reached the semifinals of the NIT last season and were picked by the league's coaches to win the conference. They have two wins this season over schools who at the time were ranked in the AP top 20.
A win on Saturday over WKU keeps North Texas in contention for the regular season crown, which they are currently jockeying with Old Dominion, UTSA and WKU for, but it would also separate them from falling out of the top pod..Â
Headed into Saturday's set of games, the current Bonus Play seating look as such. The top 12 schools after Bonus Play make the conference tournament.Â
GROUP 1
1st: Old Dominion (9-3, beat UNT but lost to UTSA)
2nd: UTSA (8-3, owns the tiebreaker over UNT)
3rd: North Texas (8-3)
4th: WKU (7-4, plays UNT on Saturday, beat UTSA and USM, lost to ODU)
5th: Southern Miss (6-5, UNT owns the tiebreaker over)
GROUP 2
T6th: UAB (6-5, owns the tiebreaker over UNT)
T6th: Marshall (6-5, UNT owns the tiebreaker)
T8th: Florida Atlantic (5-6, plays UNT next week at home)
T8th: FIU (5-6, plays UNT next week at home)
10th: LA Tech (5-6, UNT owns the tiebreaker)
GROUP 3
11th: Middle Tennessee (5-6, UNT owns the tiebreaker )
12th: Rice (4-7, can't catch UNT in the standings)
13th: UTEP (2-9, can't catch UNT in the standings)
14th: Charlotte (2-10, can't catch UNT in the standings)
 Â
DENTON — The North Texas men's basketball team on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. plays its final home game before Bonus Play when it hosts preseason Conference USA favorite Western Kentucky at the Super Pit.Â
Saturday's game will be streamed on Facebook through Stadium, Jason Knapp (PxP), Dani Klupinger and sideline reporter Kristin Balboni will broadcast the game. Click here to watch the game.
On the radio, fans can listen to the Mean Green Sports Network on KHYI 95.3 FM or through the tuneIN app. The voice of the Mean Green, Dave Barnett and Hank Dickenson, will be on the call.
The Mean Green (20-4, 8-3 C-USA) enter Saturday's matchup with three games remaining before they start the Bonus Play portion of their schedule. Following their game against the Hilltoppers (14-10, 7-4 C-USA), UNT travels to South Florida next week to play at Florida Atlantic on Feb. 14 and at FIU on Feb. 16.
Bonus Play is a new schedule format that is being initiated by C-USA this season. After the conclusion of the first seven weeks of conference play, the 14 C-USA teams will be placed in one of three groups based on conference standings at that point. The teams will be divided into two groups of five (1-5 and 6-10) and a group of four (11-14). During the final three weeks, teams will play within their respective grouping for the last four games of conference play, pinning the top five teams up against each other for one more meeting.Â
Home and away games within the groups will be determined by a preset formula.
Â
Once all 18 games have been completed, the top 12 teams based on final league standings will be seeded in the conference tournament. Teams will be guaranteed seeding within their respective group. For example, if a program lands in the second group (6-10), it will seed no higher than six and no lower than 10 in the tournament field.
Prior to Saturday's game with WKU, the Mean Green and the Hilltoppers are currently slotted in the top group (1-5). With an 8-3 conference record, North Texas is in a tie for second-place with UTSA. However, the Roadrunners own the tiebreaker over the Mean Green after they beat UNT 76-74 in San Antonio on Jan. 12.Â
Meanwhile WKU currently sits alone in fourth with a 7-4 conference record.Â
As of Saturday morning there is a three-way tie for the final top pod spot of fifth-place with Southern Miss, UAB and Marshall who are all 6-5 in conference. Though, the Golden Eagles have victories over both UAB and Marshall. The Blazers and Thundering Herd meet on Feb. 14 in Huntington, West Virginia.Â
North Texas beat Marshall on Thursday, 78-51. They also beat Southern Miss, 65-62, on Jan. 5. They lost to UAB on Jan. 24, 52-49.
The Hilltoppers are one of the most talented teams in C-USA and feature freshman Charles Bassey. WKU reached the semifinals of the NIT last season and were picked by the league's coaches to win the conference. They have two wins this season over schools who at the time were ranked in the AP top 20.
A win on Saturday over WKU keeps North Texas in contention for the regular season crown, which they are currently jockeying with Old Dominion, UTSA and WKU for, but it would also separate them from falling out of the top pod..Â
Headed into Saturday's set of games, the current Bonus Play seating look as such. The top 12 schools after Bonus Play make the conference tournament.Â
GROUP 1
1st: Old Dominion (9-3, beat UNT but lost to UTSA)
2nd: UTSA (8-3, owns the tiebreaker over UNT)
3rd: North Texas (8-3)
4th: WKU (7-4, plays UNT on Saturday, beat UTSA and USM, lost to ODU)
5th: Southern Miss (6-5, UNT owns the tiebreaker over)
GROUP 2
T6th: UAB (6-5, owns the tiebreaker over UNT)
T6th: Marshall (6-5, UNT owns the tiebreaker)
T8th: Florida Atlantic (5-6, plays UNT next week at home)
T8th: FIU (5-6, plays UNT next week at home)
10th: LA Tech (5-6, UNT owns the tiebreaker)
GROUP 3
11th: Middle Tennessee (5-6, UNT owns the tiebreaker )
12th: Rice (4-7, can't catch UNT in the standings)
13th: UTEP (2-9, can't catch UNT in the standings)
14th: Charlotte (2-10, can't catch UNT in the standings)
 Â
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