Sun Belt Conference Championship
Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans vs North Texas Mean Green
Summit Arena, Hot Springs, AR
Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN2
Opening Line: North Texas -4
Current Line: North Texas -3 1/2
Opening Total: 142
Current Total: 140
Money Line: North Texas -170 / UALR +150
At the beginning of the Sun Belt Conference tournament only the most devout Trojan and Mean Green fans thought these two teams would be playing for the Sun Belt Championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament. That the winner will likely be a 16 seed or relegated to one of the 4 play-in games won’t dampen the enthusiasm of either team. North Texas is 22-10 overall and were 8-8 in conference. They actually had the best overall record in the conference thanks to a 11-2 non-conference record. The Mean Green have wins over Texas Tech, Rice, and LSU this season. A disappointing 8-8 conference record dropped them to 4th in the Eastern Division. This will be the Mean Green’s 4th game in four days. The Mean Green have won 5 straight games including 3 in the Sun Belt tournament. They beat Troy 83-69 in the opening round, upset number 1 seed Florida Atlantic 78-64 in the quarters, and Western Kentucky 81-62 in the semifinals. Arkansas-Little Rock is 18-16 on the year and 7-9 in conference. They finished 5th in the Eastern Division of the Sun Belt. They finsihed the regular season on a three game losing streak, but have rebounded in a big way during the Sun Belt Tournament. Like North Texas the Trojans are playign their 4th game in 4 nights tonight. UALR beat South Alabama 82-68 in the first round, upset West #1 seed Arkansas St 59-52 in the quarters, and beat Middle Tennessee 65-56 in the semifinals.
North Texas swept the regular season series against UALR. North Texas won in Denton to open Sun Belt Conference play 81-69. The Mean Green won in Little Rock to close out the regular season 72-69. North Texas has won 4 straight in the series and leads the oveerall series 14-8.
Arkansas-Little Rock has no significant injuries right now. The Trojans are led by guard Solomon Bozeman who is averaging 16.4 points to lead the team, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists a game. Guard Alex Garcia-Mendoza averages 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1 assist a game. Guard Matt Mouzy averages 8.1 points, and 1.6 rebounds a game. Guard Daylon Guy averages 7.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal a game. D’Andre Williams leads the team in steals with 1.1 a game and assists with 2.8 a game and averages 6.6 points a game. The top 5 scorers shoot better than 36 percent from 3-point range. Courtney Jackson is leading the team in rebounds with 5.3 a game. Montrell Thorton leads the team in blocks with 0.8 a game. UALR is outscoring opponents 68-67 on the season. The Trojans are shooting 42.6% from the field and 39.9% from 3-point range. Trojan opponents are shooting 43.3% from the field. Little Rock makes 68.2% of their free throws. The Trojans average 33.7 rebounds a game and have a rebounding margin of -1.2. The Trojans average 11.8 assists and 12 turnovers a game. They force 13.7 turnovers a game on defense. The Trojans average 5.9 steals and 2.4 blocks a game.
North Texas has 4 players out for the season with injuries including guard Tyler Hall, forward Jacob Holman, guard Alzee Williams, and forward Cameron Spencer. Williams and Spencer redshirted, and Hall and Holman played less than 15 minutes a game, so the losses are not that big a deal. The Mean Green are led by guard Tristan Thompson who averages 18.1 points to lead the team, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists a game. Guard Josh White averages 13.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists a game. Forward George Odufuwa averages 11.2 points, 10.2 rebounds to lead the team, and 1.6 assists a game. Dominique Johnson averages 10.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 0.9 steals a game. He leads the team in assists and steals. Kedrick Hogans lead the team in blocks with 0.9 a game. North Texas is outscoring opponents 77-72. The Mean Green shoot 48.1% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range. North Texas opponents shoot 44.3% from the field. The Mean Green make 74.9% of their free throws. UNT averages 35.2 rebounds and has a rebounding margin of +2.5. The Green average 12.4 assists and 13.2 turnovers a game. They force 11.8 turnovers a game on defense. North Texas averages 4.3 steals and 2.4 blocks a game.
North Texas won the Sun Belt Tournament last year and was promptly dismantled by Kansas St in the first round of the NCAA tournament as a 15 seed. The Mean Green hope that experience will carry them to another title. Both of these teams are undersized and their are no players over 6’10” on either roster. Fatigue will also be a factor as each team is playing their 4th game in four days. Both teams go about 10 deep in their rotations so they have some depth. I expect a close game and North Texas will cover at the end.
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