Mean Green Ready To Dance

INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time since 2010, the North Texas men's basketball team is dancing at March Madness.

On Friday at 6:25 CT, the Mean Green will tip-off against Purdue in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Playing in the south region, UNT (17-9), who is making its fourth all-time trip to the NCAA Tournament, earned a program-best No. 13 seed while the Boilermakers (18-9) are a No. 4 seed. It's their fourth straight year with a top four seed.

Friday's first round match-up will be broadcast on TNT, the Mean Green Sports Network Learfield IMG College and Westwood One.

Tom McCarthy, Avery Johnson and A.J. Ross will be the broadcasters on TNT. Dave Barnett and Hank Dickenson have the call on the Mean Green Sports Network.

The 2021 NCAA Tournament is being played in select gyms in Indianapolis and the surrounding area. The Mean Green will play Friday's game in Lucas Oil Stadium, which is the home of the Indianapolis Colts.

Game Notes

UNT has never won a NCAA Tournament game.
This is North Texas' first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. They also made the 2007 and 1988 NCAA Tournament.
North Texas earned a No. 13 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. It's the highest seeding it's had in a NCAA Tournament. In its previous tournaments (2010, 2007, 1988), UNT was always a No. 15 seed.
UNT PG Javion Hamlet, the 2020 C-USA Player of the Year, was voted the 2021 C-USA Tournament MVP after averaging 18.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 7 apg while playing 39.8 mpg in the four-game tournament. Fellow senior Zachary Simmons was also named to the all-tournament team.
Senior Zachary Simmons was also named to the 2021 C-USA All-Tournament team.
A win on Friday would be North Texas' first win over an AP Top 25 opponent since Feb. 27, 1971 when they beat then No. 15 Louisville, 79-73. Purdue was ranked No. 20 in Monday's latest Associated Press Top 25
Tristan Thompson owns the UNT record for most points scored in a NCAA Tournament game by a UNT men's basketball player with 28 in the 2010 tournament against Kansas State.
North Texas is the second straight C-USA team Purdue has played in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. They beat Old Dominion 61-48 in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
UNT and Purdue have played just once before. It was on Dec. 10, 1970 and Purdue won 90-73.
A win Friday would be UNT's first win over a Big Ten opponent since Dec. 28, 1967 when they beat Northwestern 83-66 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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Javion Hamlet

Zachary Simmons

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