DENTON, Texas (12/29/08) - North Texas and UT Arlington are the most successful basketball programs in the Metroplex over the last few seasons, and have re-kindled a rivalry that takes its next step at 7 p.m. tonight at the Super Pit.
No other teams in the Metroplex have won more games than NT (51) and UTA (38) over the last three seasons, and Johnny Jones and Scott Cross are the only coaches to lead a DFW area school to the NCAA Tournament since 1998. The Mavericks have taken the last four meetings with NT dating back to 1995, including a buzzer-beating win in the last game in Denton on Nov. 15, 2006.
NT leads the all-time series with UT Arlington, 28-20, and holds a 17-7 edge at the Super Pit. North Texas has lost four straight games to the Mavericks dating back to 1995, when the squads were rival members of the Southland Conference. The Mean Green’s last win over UTA was an 80-71 victory on Feb. 11, 1995 at the Super Pit. NT owns a 222-168 all-time record against current members of the Southland.
The Mavericks were picked to win the Southland’s West Division in the annual preseason coaches poll. Anthony Vereen and Roge’r Guignard were named to the preseason second-team All-Southland Conference squad. Vereen was selected the MVP of the SLC Tournament after leading UTA to the NCAA Tournament last year.
The game is being broadcast on KTXA-21 in Dallas/Ft. Worth with George Dunham and Doug Anderson on the call. The game can also be heard on the Mean Green Radio Network.
What To Watch For
The loss at New Orleans was just North Texas’ first in the month of December. With two home games remaining in the month, the Mean Green owns a 4-1 record and is still on track for one of the top Decembers in school history.
Josh White, who has missed just four free throws all season long, has begun another impressive streak from the stripe. The reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year has hit 16 straight free throws dating back to the Houston game on Nov. 29 - a span of five straight outings without a miss.
North Texas ranks 36th in the country in 3-point percentage with a 39.1 percent clip from beyond the arc, but no one has been hotter over the last four games. The Mean Green has landed 36-of-79 (45.6 percent) from deep over in that span, including 50.0 and 61.1 percent outings. NT has hit at least eight three-pointers in each of its last four games.
North Texas won eight of its first 10 games of the year, which secured the best 10-game start by a Mean Green squad since 1976-77 (9-1). NT has been nearly unbeatable at home since 2005-06, posting a 44-9 (83.0 percent) record over that span. North Texas has won 21 of its last 23 games at home, including its last nine. Sixteen straight non-conference opponents have fallen at North Texas dating back to UT Arlington in 2006.
