[zacharyj53]

N Texas is -3 at this time. Anymore info from anybody with insight on these two teams would be greatly appreciated.

[BernardMadoff]

Where are you getting this info, I dont see it on my resources.

[zacharyj53]

Men's Basketball: Cajuns regroup, hoping for sweep - UL vs. North Texas
Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, March 4, 2012
Over the last six straight years, that's exactly how many Sun Belt Conference basketball tournament victories the UL Ragin' Cajuns have enjoyed.
If the count is to jump to one or more in seven seasons, UL — which faces North Texas tonight in a quarterfinal-round game at the Convention Center Court here — will have several obstacles to overcome.
One is North Texas star Tony Mitchell, the Sun Belt's likely NBA-bound Freshman of the Year.
One is the fact UL is looking to beat a team it's beaten twice already this season — both times in games decided by four points or fewer.
And one other is the Cajuns' own suspension-depleted state.
UL will be playing with both junior Raymone Andrews, its starting point guard for the majority of this season, and sophomore power forward J.J. Thomas, its leading scorer a season ago.
The two were indefinitely suspended last Tuesday what coach Bob Marlin deemed to be "conduct detrimental to the team."
Marlin — whose Cajuns are the No. 4 seed in the four-day, 11-team single-elimination tournament — would not elaborate.
But, rather than fret over whether or not his 16-14 Cajuns might fold in light of recent developments, he did suggest he's happy with the response he's seen since Thomas and Andrews were denied a trip with the team to Hot Springs.
Two days after the two were suspended and their combined 14.9 points per game were left behind, in fact, Marlin said his club had "two really good days of practice — the best we've had in a long time."
"It doesn't surprise me," the second-season Cajuns coach said.
"That's part of leadership. You have to make decisions," he added. "And from information I've gathered from some people close to the program I think we have "» a positive outlook going into this tournament."
With Andrews out tonight against No. 4 seed North Texas, freshman Elfrid Payton will start at the point — just as he did for a six-game stretch earlier this season, and just as he did when Andrews came off the bench in UL's surprise regular season-ending home loss to three-win UL Monroe.
Marlin said junior Darnell Jackson and redshirt freshman Donovan Williams — two seldom-used reserve guards — "will both get the opportunity to play more minutes" tonight.
But he'd love to see an effective Payton, the Cajuns assists leader this season, stay on the floor as long as he can.
"In a tournament like this, you're going to run into foul issues at some time," Marlin said. "You just hope it's not crucial to the outcome of a game."
With Thomas unavailable as well, senior big man Scottie Farrington — who Marlin said has "played well recently" — and true freshman forward Kentwan Smith may get more minutes too.
The Cajuns could also slide their leading scorer and rebounder, swingman Josh Brown, to power forward when matchups allow them to play small — something UL has done on occasion this season.
"We plan to use everybody we have," Marlin said of his now 11-man team. "Guys on the roster will have to step up."
He fully expects them to, too.
Even if the Cajuns — whose last Sun Belt tournament-victory came in double-overtime over Troy on March, 5, 2006 at Murfreesboro, Tenn. — are down two.
"It's the beginning of March Madness," Marlin said, "and we've already bonded, and we look forward to going and giving our best effort in Hot Springs.
"We're focused on North Texas," he added, "and not anything about the past."
UL vs. North Texas

SBC

No. 4 seed UL (16-14, 10-6) vs. No. 5 seed North Texas (16-13, 9-7)

WHEN: 6:15 p.m.
WHERE: Convention Center Court; Hot Springs, Ark.
RADIO: KPEL 1420 AM, KHXT 107.9 FM

TV: None

INTERNET: SBC Extra, accessible at SunBeltSports.org

LEADING SCORERS: UL — Senior F Josh Brown (10.3 points per game); Denver — Freshman F Tony Mitchell (15.3 ppg)
THE CAJUNS

UL has not won a Sun Belt Conference tournament game since 2006. "» The Ragin' Cajuns have lost two of their last three and three of their last five. "» Leading scorer Josh Brown, a second team All-Sun Belt pick, also leads UL in rebounds per game at 6.6. "» True freshman Elfrid Payton, who played all but one regular-season game as a 17-year-old, leads the Cajuns in assists per game. "» UL will be without junior guard Raymone Andrews, its usual starter at the point, and sophomore backup power forward J.J. Thomas, its top scorer last season. Both were suspended last Tuesday for "conduct detrimental to the team." "» No one from UL averages more than senior power forward Darshawn McClellan's 27.2 minutes per game. "» Cajuns center Kadeem Coleby is second in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage at 57 percent. "» UL won the Sun Belt tournament in 1992, 1994, 2000, 2004 and 2005.
THE OPPONENT

Coach Johnny Jones' Mean Green have lost five of their last nine, finishing the regular-season by going loss-win-loss-win-loss-win-loss-win-loss. "» Its final game of the regular season was a 64-52 loss at Denver. "» Mean Green star Tony Mitchell, the Sun Belt's Freshman of the Year, is widely projected to be a late first-round pick if he declares as expected for this year's NBA Draft. "» Mitchell has averaged a double-double in his 20 games since becoming academically eligible, leads NT in not only scoring rebounding at 10.8 per game. "» Freshman guard Chris Jones was averaging 14.1 points and a team-high 4.3 assists before being declared academically ineligible after this school year's first semester. "» North Texas ranks 10th in the nation in rebounding with a Sun Belt-leading 39.8 boards per game.
LAGNIAPPE

The winner of tonight's game will face the winner of a game tonight between No. 1 seed Middle Tennessee and No. 9 seed Arkansas State ."» UL beat North Texas in both of the first two meetings between the teams this season. The Cajuns lead the all-time series 19-15. "» UL and North Texas have met only once previously won in Sun Belt tourney play. The Mean Green won 93-78 in 2007.
THE FIRST TWO MEETINGS

UL 64, NORTH TEXAS 62

Jan. 25, 2012 at the Cajundome

Starting shooting guard Bryant Mbamalu scored 19 points for UL and North Texas missed 3-point tries on its final trip down the floor, including one by Tony Mitchell. The Mean Green's freshman star was limited by foul trouble to just 17 minutes. Mitchell scored just 11 points and pulled down only five rebounds.
UL 57, NORTH TEXAS 53

Feb. 18, 2012 in Denton

Kadeem Coleby blocked eight shots, including three in the final 63 seconds, to help UL hold off the Mean Green in the Cajuns' final regular-season road game of 2012. Rebounding from a tough loss at Denver two nights earlier, UL held North Texas to a season-low 29 percent from the field. Star Tony Mitchell, again battling foul issues, managed just seven points and seven boards. Darshawn McClellan led the Cajuns with 13 points and Coleby added 10.

[BernardMadoff]

Ok I see, missing that pg might be somewhat of a factor, neither score too much though, thanks.

[zacharyj53]

Ok I see, missing that pg might be somewhat of a factor, neither score too much though, thanks.

their combined 14.9 points per game were left behind


That is almost a 1/4 of there avg PPG.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

North Texas is probably the play.

[zacharyj53]

North Texas is probably the play.

I agree, just hard to put money on teams I know nothing about in the least.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Yeah their backups could be better than these clowns for all we know. Not touching it.

[montoronto]

indiana -6

24-17

l2