North Texas (12-9, 5-3 SBC) vs Arkansas State (9-13, 3-5 SBC)
Denton, Texas • The Super Pit (10,500)
Jan. 28, 2012 • 12:00 p.m. CST
TV: Sun Belt Network • Joe Davis, Dave Odom
Radio: MGRN • George Dunham, Hank Dickenson
Webcast: ESPN3.com
Series: ASU leads 20-16
Last: ASU 75-72 on Jan. 7, 2012 in Jonesboro, Ark.
GAME NOTES
DENTON, Texas – Johnny Jones is one win away from his 200th career victory, and will go into this Saturday’s game against Arkansas State with what is shaping up to be the best inside tandem in the Sun Belt Conference – Tony Mitchell and Roger Franklin.
Tip off is slated for noon at the Super Pit, and the game can be seen on the Sun Belt Network and ESPN3.com.
Including his stay as the interim head coach at Memphis in 1999-00, Jones has piled up a 199-157 (55.9 percent) record and can earn his 200th career win Saturday. Jones, in his 11th year at NT, has won at least 20 games in each of the last five seasons and has taken the Mean Green to three of the last five Sun Belt Tournament finals.
Twice this season Tony Mitchell has scored 30 or more points and grabbed 15 or more rebounds, which makes him the first freshman to accomplish that feat since Kansas State’s Michael Beasley (2007-08). Mitchell tallied 34 points and 16 rebounds at South Alabama, and also had 30 points and 17 boards against Denver.
With double-doubles in each of his last three outings, Roger Franklin can match “Mr. Double-Double” George Odufuwa’s career-high of four straight set last year. Franklin has his hands full if he wants to catch Odufuwa’s 34 career double-doubles, but he is averaging 16.3 points and 12.0 rebounds over the last three games.
The coaching staffs from both teams will be sporting tennis shoes on Saturday in honor of Coaches vs. Cancer, a joint program from the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. More than 2,000 NCAA programs participate in the program, which has raised nearly $50 million for the American Cancer Society since its inception.
