University of North Texas
Wichita State
Men's Basketball Travels To Shockers
12/17/2021 2:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Saturday's contest will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Mean Green Sports Network with Dave Barnett and Hank Dickenson on the call.
This will be the 38th all-time meeting between the two teams but it'll be the first time the once conference mates have faced since 1982. North Texas (6-3) enters the game on a four-game winning streak, one win shy of its longest winning streak all of last year. They are coming off of a 65-55 home win over Sam Houston on Tuesday.
The Mean Green remain one of the nation's top defenses as they've held their nine opponents to an average of just 55.4 points per game. That's the seventh lowest among all DI teams. UNT has held six of its nine opponents to season-low scoring.
On Saturday they'll face a Wichita State (8-2) squad coming off of a 2021 American Conference regular season championship and 2021 NCAA Tournament appearance where they earned an at-large bid. It was the program's 16th NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth in the last 10 years.
North Texas assistant coach Matt Braeuer was a three-year starter at Wichita State and helped lead the Shockers to the 2006 Sweet 16.
In 1963 the Mean Green beat a then No. 8 Wichita State team, 69-67. It remains North Texas' highest ranked victory.
SLOW TEMPO
Through nine games, North Texas' offensive tempo ranks 356th in the nation (out of 358 teams). Over the last two years North Texas has ranked sub 350 at the end of the year. UNT's average possession length this year so far is 21.0 seconds.
HOLDING OPPONENTS UNDER 60
In all six of North Texas' wins this year it has held its opponent to under 60 points. Over the last two seasons combined, the Mean Green are 17-1 win they hold their opponent to under 60 points.
SHOOTING BETTER FROM 3 LAND
After starting the season 2-of-17 (11.7 percent) from 3-point range over the first four games of the year, Rubin Jones has made 11 of his last 21 (52.3 percent) 3-point attempts over the last five games. Since the early season struggle Jones and associate head coach Ross Hodge work on his 3-point shooting every day at practice.
BACK-TO-BACK CAREER GAMES
North Texas sophomore Abou Ousmane has scored a career-high 13 points in each of the Mean Green's last two games. Last year as a freshman he eclipsed double-digit scoring once (10 pts versus Mississippi Valley). Headed into Saturday's game at Wichita, Ousmane has scored in double figures five times so far this year.
