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Recap: 2009-2010 Season #3
Written by Courtland   
Thursday, 05 August 2010

We began the second half of conference play with a road game at WKU. The Hilltoppers have been the dominant program in the league for the last several seasons and have owned us since we joined the Belt. A win in Diddle Arena is always tough, and with our lack of consistency, appeared to be unlikely. The Toppers were also struggling to this point in Belt play as they were dealing with some injury issues. Both schools desperately needed this game to stay within striking distance for one of the byes in the league tournament.

 

What followed was one of the best games of the year as each team traded shots all night. WKU got out early and led by 10 not even eight minutes into the game. Tristan Thompson and George Odufuwa helped us crawl back into the the contest as we eventually pulled even at 19. WKU went on another run to go up 6 near the end of the half. Tristan led a sudden 8 point swing for us in just under a minute and the teams remained close till half with NT leading 35-34. After intermission neither team could get much separation. Overall there were 16 ties and 15 lead changes as both teams battled like it was a tournament game. WKU held a 72-68 lead with under 3 minutes to go, but we seemingly took over down the stretch outscoring the Toppers 7-0. With time running out Steffphon Pettigrew nailed a desperation 40 footer at the buzzer to force overtime. WKU got off to a good start in the extra session and led by 4 with fewer than two to go. Instead of wilting, Tristan stroked a trey. After a key defensive stop Shannon Shorter found Eric Tramiel for the game winner. The contest wasn’t free of drama though until Josh White stole the ball from AJ Slaughter as he was trying to get free for a chance at the equalizer. This was a huge victory for the squad as we tried to jockey our way up the standings.

 

 

Our next game was at red hot MTSU. The Blue Raiders had won 4 in a row and were competing with Troy and FAU for the Eastern crown. After a sluggish start by both teams, MTSU put together a nice run to go up by a dozen midway through the opening stanza. Josh & Tristan both hit 3’s to get us back in it. MTSU eventually took a 35-31 lead to the locker room. In the 2nd half the Raiders kept us at arms length throughout. Trailing by 9 with a bit over three minutes to go, we made one final charge. After Collin Mangrum and Shorter both swished treys we trailed by only a deuce with 1:35 remaining. Josh got a big steal and it looked for a brief second as though we might steal the game, but a turnover led to free throws by the Raiders and they held on 69-64. Thompson had 17 in a losing effort and Odufuwa had one of his patented double doubles, but it was a game where we could never get over the hump as we trailed from the opening tip.

 

 

We returned back to Denton to take on Florida Atlantic. FAU was also in the middle of a big win streak as all their young talent was taking it to the rest of the Belt. We obviously wanted to make a statement as we almost blew the Owls out in the first half. We shot 64.5% and ran up a 45-27 advantage. Our mark on the glass was perhaps even more impressive (23-9). FAU scratched and clawed in the 2nd half, but could get no closer than ten as we won going away. Five players went for double figures led by Tramiel with 17. The 86-69 victory was about as well as played all season and was the beginning of one of the great win streaks in school history.

 

 

We went back the road, taking on FIU in a grudge match of sorts. Many felt that the first game against the Panthers was one we should have had, and this was our chance to prove so. Unfortunately, the Panthers matched up well against us and another back and forth contest was in the forecast. In the opening minutes both teams traded runs at each other. Every time you figured one team was starting to get it together, the other replied. Fittingly the game was knotted up at 39 going to intermission. NT managed to squeeze out an 8 point cushion about midway though the 2nd when the Panthers replied with a 16-1 run. With less than 5 minutes remaining, we appeared done – but the guys had one last push. An 11-0 spurt keyed by a miracle trey from Eric Tramiel with the shot clock expiring, gave us a 4 point lead with under 2 to go. The final minutes were still nerve wracking as FIU knocked in a trey. We had to make key defensive stands twice in the final seconds but we preserved the 68-66 victory. Thompson had 19 and Odufuwa had his 5th double double in the last six games. The squad returned to Denton tired, but looking at the standings, possibly working into a decent seeding.

 

 

Our next game took us to the Crescent City where we faced UNO for the final time as Sun Belt foes. We absolutely crushed the Privateers 68-46, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate. After jumping on them 17-3 early NT slowly took away their will. We pushed the lead to 25 as we dominated them in the paint (took them over 13 minutes to score from inside of it). Josh enjoyed playing in his home state as he led our attack with 18. After winning three in a row, including two on the road appeared we were starting to get things humming along. This was a quick three game set as our usual Thursday/Saturday schedule was altered with another game on the following Monday (two of these being on the road no less) – so in a way it would give us an idea about tournament readiness.

 

 

After two impressive road wins, we finally had another game at the Super Pit. The always tough to figure Denver Pioneers rolled into town with their usual dismal road record (and sterling home record) standing a game a game and half back of us in the standings. We both were watching ASU come back to the pack just a bit (as was ULL who was beginning to play well). We controlled the first half for the most part grabbing a 26-14 lead, but the Pioneers worked their Princeton offense into some late 3’s and closes with a 10-2 run. Holding a 28-24 advantage as the 2nd stanza began we hoped to regain the kind of margin we had before the DU run. It was not to be as the entire twenty minutes was played within a small window (there were 8 times, 8 lead changes, and neither team led by more than 5). Denver used their 3 point shooting to build a 51-47 lead with five minutes remaining. NT responded with a 17-9 streak. Later with Denver up one, Josh White swished his only trey of the contest. He made 12 of 13 free throws (all in the 2nd half) including 6 in the final few moments to ice the 64-59 win

.

We made one last trip out of conference to play Houston Baptist in a return trip from the previous season. The Sea Wolves were having a lousy season, but were remarkably feisty in the first half as they stayed with us throughout. As the teams jogged to the locker rooms we were only up 50-44 and you could feel the nervousness in MG Nation. In the 2nd twenty minutes, we poured it on. A large part of this might have been our 3 point shooting as we lit it up for nearly 60% from behind the arc. The final score was 107-87 as Josh paced us with 28. Odufuwa added another double – his tenth of the season. We were now the winners of five straight and could sit back and watch the rest of the Belt play on Thursday. Because of a tailspin that had roughly coincided with out run, we had moved to just half a game back of the Red Wolves. ULL, who had also been playing well had climbed back into the chase, and when they defeated ASU on that Thursday night, moved a game back of ASU and us. The Red Wolves still held the tiebreaker, but our odds of winning the Division, which had appeared dead just a few weeks before were now quite possible. As a whole the league was cluttered with 5 teams tied at 10-5 in Belt play.

 

 

Our next game was against UALR at home. After the starters were feeling each other out, Johnny Jones went to the bench and brought in his replacement line, something he had been tinkering with for a few games. The switch worked as Collin Mangrum exploded with 4 treys. NT ended the half on a 19-6 run to take a 44-31 lead into intermission. In the second half Odufuwa and Tramiel went to work as our inside game helped us retain the advantage. Overall we had five players get into double figures as our well balanced attack was too much for the Trojans. The final was 83-65, and with ASU going down yet again, we moved into 1st place in the West.

 

 

ULL was up next in effect an elimination game for the West. ASU was still out there if we lost our finale, but a win for us would make it mathematically impossible for the Cajuns to take the Division. Likewise a ULL win would almost make it impossible for us to take the West. It was also Senior Night, and you never want to lose that game. ULL got out of the gate fast, building a 17-6 early advantage. We altered our style of play, uglied it up, and worked our way back. At intermission the score stood at 23 apiece. NT built a lead over the course of the 2nd half, which saw several ULL runs that, got close. However, Player of the Year Tyren Johnson could not get his team over the hump, and we made the key plays every time it looked as though it would slip away. Our big four all got into double figures as we held on for the 65-57 victory. In the aftermath JJ sent the players up into the stands to celebrate with the nearly 4500 in attendance. It was a fitting send off in the last home game of the season. We went into the finale with a simple goal. Win, and win the Division. The tiebreakers for the overall #1 seed did not favor us.

 

 

The game against ULM in the regular season finale would decide our fate. The game got off to a sluggish start as the game was tied at 2 after five minutes of play. Things slowly picked up and NT opened up a 21-10 advantage. From there NT mostly kept ULM at bay holding a 34-23 advantage at intermission. The second half both teams played sloppy and we could never put the War Hawks away. They made several runs at us, but somehow we managed to keep the advantage despite looking pretty bad at times. Tristan had a huge 4 point play to stop one ULM push with 4:28 to go. NT eventually put the game away at the charity stripe, and despite a 3 at the buzzer, held on for the 74-71 win.

 

 

This was a historic win for the Mean Green as it marked the first time we had ever won a regular season title under Coach Jones. We also went 8-0 in February in an amazing streak that took us from down near the bottom of the standings to being Division Champs. Because we lost the 3 way tie for overall #1, we would go into the Tournament as the 2 seed – but perhaps that was fortunate as we would avoid potentially facing a red hot WKU team until the Finals. We had just completed one of the best regular seasons in school history, but the best was yet to come.

 
 
Recap for 2009-2010 Season; Part2
Written by Courtland   
Thursday, 10 June 2010

 

On December 13, UNT opened up Sun Belt conference play at home against Louisiana Monroe. The War Hawks came in scuffling, but it was a whole new season for them now, so we expected their best shot. In the first half we received it, as ULM hung right with us. Neither team led by more than five during the opening stanza. At intermission, the Mean Green clung to a tenuous 35-33 lead. Josh White opened the 2nd half with a trey and the floodgates opened for us. When all was said and done, we went on a 23-7 streak and our lead was a commanding 18 points with 10 minutes to go. From there, we worked our lead up to 21 on a Richard Thomas lay up with 7:07 remaining. Once leading comfortably, we coasted home for a 79-62 win. Tristan Thompson led four players (White, Odufuwa & Tramiel) in double figures with 20. It was a well balanced game that seemed to justify our lofty expectations.

Those good feelings were quickly dashed as FIU defeated us in our next contest. The student body was ready for Isaiah Thomas, but our team seemed asleep at the start as FIU built an early lead that they increased to 16. At the half the Golden Panthers held a 38-23 advantage. Coach Jones appeared to have lit a charge in the squad as we exploded with a quick 19-7 run to get back in the game. From there the contest stabilized, and FIU held the lead for most of the rest of regulation. In the waning seconds Josh White came up with a huge trey to tie the game and the patrons in the SuperPit got free basketball. In the OT the Panthers manhandled us and won going away 80-70. This was a bitter pill to swallow as FIU had been playing terribly in the non conference season and was rated near the bottom of the nation in the RPI.

We continued our home stand, but jumped back out of conference with our next two home games. Up first Southeastern Louisiana came calling. The Lions stuck with the Mean Green in the opening minutes, but about midway thru the first 20 minutes the Mean Green began to take control, mostly behind Tristan Thompson's hot shooting. By the break we had built a 43-29 advantage. The Lions stuck with us in the 2nd half, spending most of the stanza between 7-10 points behind - but could never get to within a couple of possessions. It was a hard fought game, but not one in which we were seriously threatened. After having a terrible outing against FIU, Eric Tramiel led the way with 19 (the usual four all being in double figures again) and he dominated the paint against an overmatched SELA frontline.

Next we welcomed in the Texas Southern Tigers. Eric Tramiel aggravated a wrist injury early and we had to play most of the game without him. The team was kind of lost at the start and TSU led nearly the entire first half, until a late run nosed us in front. Tristan and Collin Mangrum both were huge early keeping us in it. The Tigers regained the lead briefly early in the 2nd, but we quickly countered and led most of the way. However, nearly the entire stanza was within two possessions or less. Things began to look bleak when Odufuwa fouled out with less than a minute to go. With the game tied and the clock ticking down - Jacob Holmen (who had been struggling with his stroke and turnovers all evening) hit the game winner as we escaped 71-69. Also having an unusually big game was Shannon Shorter with a dozen. Tristan led all scorers with 21 as he continued to carry the scoring load in this stretch of December games.

NT moved back into Belt play on New Years Eve as we traveled up to Little Rock. The Trojans have really owned us since we joined the conference, and without Eric on the floor, this shaped up to be a real tough one. UALR took a quick five point lead out of the game, but we countered to grab a 17-14 advantage. Near the midpoint half the Trojans switched to a zone which threw us as UALR climbed back in it. Josh had a great game at the point setting up lots of dimes and we took a 45-37 advantage to the locker room. A fight nearly broke out on the outset of the 2nd half, which appeared to wake UALR up. By the 11 minute mark they had pulled to within three and the stretch would resemble the classic UALR/NT down to the wire affair. With time dwindling, and us trailing by 3, Tristan Thompson swished a gigantic trey and then Josh knocked one in as well to put us up 78-75 with 40 seconds to go. From there we managed to hold on for an 83-78 victory. Thompson and Odufuwa both put in 20+ points and White and Holmen had great passing games (Holmen recorded 7 assists with only one turnover). This put Coach Jones in rarified air, as he moved into sole possession of #2 all time in wins at NT (passing the legendary Coach Blakeley) and behind only Coach Shands.

We were starting to feel good after a three game win streak, but that was short lived as NT got crushed in Jonesboro. ASU jumped on us 12-2 at the outset and though we fought back in the first half, we never could pull even. Leading 32-22 at the half the Red Wolves stepped on our throat in the 2nd and punished us. The final was 71-56 and to be honest, it might not have been that close. Tristan Thompson had a nice game, (18 points) and Odufuwa held his own on the glass, but otherwise we were outclassed all night by a younger, hungrier team that was about to go on a torrid streak.

The hard luck continued as NT traveled to ULL. The Cajuns took the early lead and built on the advantage throughout the first half. By the break we were down 34-22. In the second we kept trying to climb back into the game (cutting the lead to 3 at several points), but we could never hit the equalizer. Josh White hit a trey with 11.8 seconds to go to climb within 72-70, but two free throws by ULL put the game away. A cosmetic layup by Shannon Shorter made the Final 74-72 Cajuns. George Odufuwa led our attack with 15 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. White and Thomas both got 14 and Tristan also reached double figures. But playing without Tramiel and the early hole we dug ourselves, proved too much to overcome.

NT returned to Denton needing a win desperately. Fortunately for us, UNO was up next. Used to be the Privateers had a hex on us, but we had started to reverse that last season, and once they found out this year they were moving down to Division 3 shortly - they seemingly lost a lot of their will. Josh White had 21, Tristan Thompson had 18 - and won easily 71-57. The first half was close until the final five minutes, but once we started to get working margin, we quickly pushed the advantage up to 20. It was a great way to for us to "get well" before some of our more challenging contests.

The Mean Green traveled to Troy in their next outing. The Trojans were leading the East - so this was a good measuring stick for us to see how we were progressing. Troy got off to a quick start and led by a couple of buckets early. Eric Tramiel was back in the lineup (off the bench) after a four game absence and made a big impact with 11. Troy's 2-3 zone bothered us, as we shot under 40% from the field. However, the Trojans were having a difficult time figuring out our defense as well. We managed to take a 33-26 lead into intermission, and what would become a season long theme this proved pivotal as we were undefeated on the season holding the advantage at the break. Led by Tristan Thompson coming off the bench to provide a spark, our reserves dominated the game at times and held a 34-13 lead over Troy's. Josh White also poured in 18 points (including 3 from deep) as our two guards controlled the action. With the game still in doubt in the final minute, Tristan grabbed a huge steal to help preserve the lead. It wasn't a for sure thing until Brandon Hazzard's shot at the equalizer came short at the buzzer and we could breath easy with the 75-72 victory. This was a huge statement after our earlier struggles on the road and pulled us to within shouting distance of the Division leaders.

 

Arkansas State made their return trip to the SuperPit in our following contest. We got off to a decent start and led 16-12 early. However, ASU then went on a huge run and eventually went up 36-24. NT went on a bit of a run to climb to within 6 at the half. However, that was short lived as ASU went on another big run and were never seriously challenged in the second half. The closest we could get was 64-57; and even that didn't last long as ASU immediately knocked in a 3 to go back up by double figures. Despite yet another double double by Odufuwa (his 6th), and three other players in double figures we didn't play particularly well. Our shooting percentage was terrible (especially from beyond the arc) and we could do little to stop ASU's young guns. We had to think about trying to get the 3 seed after this game, since the West appeared to be a long shot at best.

It was back to the road for our next game. USA was also having an up and down season to this point, and it shaped up to be a struggle as both teams needed a win desperately to keep high seeding hopes alive. The Jags got off to a great start and led by 11 early. North Texas recovered, found another gear, and outscored USA 15-4 to go to the locker rooms tied at 38. In the 2nd half we rode Eric Tramiel as he carried us home with his offense and defense. Up four late, Tramiel blocked a 3 point attempt to seal the win. The final was 86-78 as we scored another big 'W' away from Denton. Tramiel was fantastic with 25 points and 13 boards. George Odufuwa also cleaned up in the front court as he got 16 & 16. Shorter, White, and Thompson all got into double figures as well.

 

We were now at the halfway point in league play. Our record stood at 5-4 (overall at 12-7) in the middle of the pack for seeding. Early losses had hurt significantly, but we were starting to become healthier. Our bench was still arguably the deepest in the conference - even with Richard Thomas becoming less and less of a cog, with his mind on his ailing father. Everything seemed to be pointing towards us making a run, though the streak that awaited us couldn't have been predicted.
 
 
Recap #1 for 2009-2010 Season
Written by Courtland   
Wednesday, 19 May 2010

The North Texas basketball team entered the 2009-2010 campaign with high expectations. The previous season ended with a closely fought contest to WKU in the SBC Semifinals. That Hilltoppers team went onto the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament, so many felt we were very close to a breakthrough campaign ourselves. Coach Jones seemed to have been building towards this season, with a huge Junior class, as well as a true Senior leader in Eric Tramiel. The conference coaches seemed to agree with the overall consensus nabbing us as the favorite to win the West in the annual preseason poll. Despite this, the season didn't get off to a promising start as crucial reserve Kedrick Hogans was injured before a game was played and had to be red shirted. Dominique Johnson also was banged up and would be rested early.

The season opened on November 13th, 2009 against Cameron in the SuperPit. We seemed rusty at the outset as the visiting team got out to an 8-3 advantage. Eventually we worked ourselves back in the game and tied the game at 18. From there we cruised the rest of the first half building a 48-31 advantage at the break. In the second stanza we could never drop the hammer down on Cameron, as they closed to within 11 at one point. However we never were seriously threatened and won going away (80-62). Josh White led four players in double figures with 19 points. George Odufuwa had a highly memorable night as he poured in a dozen, and grabbed 24 rebounds - the most by a North Texas player since 1978.

UTA has been a thorn in our side in recent years. Because of this, our early season game with the Mavs was significant to our fan base (if not the team itself). UTA got off to a good start and led throughout the first half as they forced us into 13 turnovers. Down 6 at the break JJ and the staff made some adjustments and we went on a quick 6-2 run to close to 42-40 forcing the Mavericks into a timeout. From there both teams traded leads thru the next couple of media timeouts before UTA seemingly took control, 76-69, with 4:57 remaining. The Mean Green responded with a 10-1 run and the two teams grinded out the last couple of minutes. Freshman Jacob Holmen hit one of two free throws with 15 seconds remaining and the game went to overtime as the Mavs missed a shot at the buzzer. In the overtime neither team could get ahead by much, and again it came down to a team needing a free throw to tie. This time with NT up one, there was a scrum on the floor and Josh White was called for a loose ball infraction. Mavs split their FT attempts and the game went to double OT. The second overtime was just as exhausting. The Mean Green briefly got a four point edge, but UTA fought back. Up one with 12.5 seconds left, transfer Shannon Shorter made one of two at the line giving us a 101-99 lead. UTA missed and we had a 101-99 victory.

Josh White was incredible with 35 points for the game. He seemingly willed us to the 'W' at times. Also giving us big minutes were the freshmen Alzee Williams and Holmen. Odufuwa had another double, double (he would have many as the season progressed) leading the squad once again with 11 boards. The only negative was DJ, who aggravated an injury and only played a few minutes. This victory felt good as we moved to 2-0 before traveling north to Stillwater.

Our three game series with Oklahoma State had reached the rubber match. The initial two were memorable affairs (especially the first) and this one looked to be the same. We got off to a good start and led 8-6 early. The two teams stayed close throughout most of the first half. However, with NT leading 28-27, OSU went on a 17-5 run to close out the half. We countered well in the 2nd, at one point climbing to within 2, after a three pointer by Collin Mangrum. OSU's guards killed us though (especially James Anderson who finished with 25), and despite Eric Tramiel and George Odufuwa both having strong games, we lost 82-68.

NT next welcomed the Jackson State Tigers to the SuperPit. Once again Odufuwa and Tramiel led the way as our frontline superiority slowly wore down JSU. At the break we led by 7 and slowly inched the gap to 15. The Tigers made a run and closed to within four late. We recovered and held on for a fairly workman-like 68-58 victory. Richard Thomas joined Eric and George in double figures.

The Mean Green made a trip out to Boise, Idaho on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for our next game. Josh White, who had been shut down since the UTA game, had 23 points to lead the way as we battled the travel and the thin air. The game got off to a rough start for Odufuwa, as he was in early foul trouble, but Cam Spencer, Holmen, and Ben Knox all filled in admirably. Without his usual partner in crime, Tramiel still had a good game with 14 big points as he tried to counter BSU's Robert Arnold down low. Despite 16 first half points from White, we trailed by 1 at the break. In the second half NT was ahead by 5 when Boise State went on an 11-2 streak and led thereafter. The final was 79-73, but it was a game that we really felt we should have won.

NT returned to Denton for a weekday matinee game against The University of the Southwest. North Texas controlled the game throughout despite an incredible game by Demetrius Evans of the Mustangs. Evans lit up the Mean Green for 40. Otherwise, NT played good defense. Josh White's 21 lead four players in double figures as we shot 56% from the field and won handily 91-62. It was a good confidence builder as we were traveling for one last pre conference trip before the games really started to mean something.

First up on the two game swing was Rice. The Owls roared out of the gate, grabbing a 15-6 lead. Dominique Johnson was inserted in the lineup and our fortunes changed. He spearheaded a 14-3 run and we took a 32-27 lead into the break. The second half was a true struggle as there were ten ties and lead changes. Neither team could get much separation as the game winded down. Trailing by three with less than five minutes to go, Collin Mangrum converted a huge 3-point play. From there Josh White took it home as he scored 11 of our final 12 (mostly from the charity stripe) to put the game away. After Rice missed on a pair of late free throws we had survived and their desperation three at the buzzer was only cosmetic. The final was 64-62 and things looked bright once again in Mean Green Nation. Unfortunately, the news was not all good. DJ, despite having a team high 15, was injured and knocked out for the season. Thankfully, he was granted a medical red shirt, but our depth at PG really took a hit. Josh would have to shoulder even more responsibility from here on out.

In our last game before heading into conference, we traveled to College Station to take on a Texas A&M team that was ranked in the Top 20. We opened up well as Eric Tramiel scored our first 9 points and we led by a bucket. We managed to keep the advantage throughout most of the opening stanza until a late 18-2 Aggie run broke the game open and A&M had a 40-25 lead at intermission. Our team responded with a gutsy 2nd half as we never let the Aggies get comfortable. Our 3's weren't falling, but we held our own in the paint. Despite our shooting woes, when Junior Richard Thomas knocked in a trey with under four minutes to go, we had shaved the lead to 8. We could get no closer and the Aggies held on 75-65.

Heading into conference season we stood at 5-3. We would jump out of conference for games later in the season -- but Sunbelt play was upon us and it looked as though we were getting things figured out. Some setbacks were waiting on us just beyond the horizon.
 
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