DENTON (8/27/04) Not only does the 2003-04 North Texas men’s basketball schedule feature 15 regular-season home games, the most since 1973-74, the Mean Green can throw in home-court advantage for the 2005 Sun Belt Conference Tournament as well.
NT will be hosting its first league tournament since the 1988-89 season when it hosted the Southland Conference Tournament. The Mean Green hosted the SLC Tournament the year prior to 88-’89 as well and won it to qualify for its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re excited to be the host school for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament,” said North Texas head coach Johnny Jones. “Not only our players, but the University and city of Denton will have an opportunity to showcase their talents as we welcome our conference foes and fans to our great city. Because of our facilities, every team in the conference will be able to participate in this great event.”
The large number of home games on the schedule bodes well for the Mean Green considering its success at the Super Pit under head coach Johnny Jones. In fact, in two of its three years with Jones at the helm, the Mean Green has won its home games at a .750 clip. North Texas went 10-3 at the Super Pit in Jones’ inaugural season, the school’s best results at the Super Pit in 11 seasons, and 9-3 at the Super Pit last year. NT now holds a 22-14 home record over the last three seasons and considering that eight of those 14 losses were by four points or less, the Mean Green could easily be 30-6 over that span.
“I think we have a great schedule for our fans this year, which will feature at least 16 home games including the tournament,” said Jones. “We have had great success playing at home the last few years and we look forward to building on that success.”
Additionally, the schedule also features a number of very exciting non-conference road games that includes outings at Texas and Alabama as well as North Texas’ first regular-season tournament since it won the Brothers Air and Heat Shootout in 2002-03. The Mean Green will compete in the Dr. Pepper Classic, hosted by Chattanooga, on Dec. 29 and 30.
“I think again we have another demanding and challenging schedule, which includes Texas and Alabama, two teams that will possibly be ranked in the preseason top 10,” said Jones. “But as always, we look forward to those challenges.”
While the Mean Green’s schedule is dominated by home games during the non-conference, it will start its Sun Belt Conference schedule with three consecutive road games starting with New Mexico State on Jan. 8. However, six of NT’s last eight conference games will be played at home.
North Texas will open the 2004-05 season at home against in-state foe Angelo State on Nov. 19 before hitting the road to face Alabama in its second game on Nov. 21. Angelo State and the Longhorns are two of five Texas-based opponents on the schedule, which also includes home tilts against TCU and Lamar and a road game at UT-Pan American. NT will host TCU for the second time in the last three years when the Horned Frogs come to town on Dec. 4.
