North Texas Mean Green men's basketball | |||
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Head coach | Ross Hodge (2nd season) | ||
Conference | The American | ||
Location | Denton, Texas | ||
Arena | The Super Pit (capacity: 10,500) | ||
Nickname | Mean Green | ||
Student section | Mean Green Maniacs | ||
Colors | Green and white [1] | ||
Uniforms | |||
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NCAA tournament round of 32 | |||
2021 | |||
NCAA tournament appearances | |||
1988, 2007, 2010, 2021 | |||
Conference tournament champions | |||
Southland: 1988 Sun Belt: 2007, 2010 C-USA: 2021 | |||
Conference regular season champions | |||
TIAA: 1922, 1923, 1926, 1927 Lone Star: 1938, 1942, 1943, 1948 Gulf Coast: 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 Southland: 1988, 1989 Sun Belt: 2010 C-USA: 2020, 2022 |
The North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represents the University of North Texas (UNT) in NCAA Division I college basketball, competing as a member of the American Athletic Conference.
For most of its history, the Mean Green have had patches of success, starting in the 1970s when the team received its first top-20 ranking under head coach Bill Blakeley as well as success in the late 1980s and early 1990s under head coach Jimmy Gales and then again in the mid to late 2000s under head coach Johnny Jones. Blakeley coached three consecutive 20-win seasons: 1975–76 (22-4); 1976–77 (21-6); 1977–78 (22-6). North Texas has appeared in the NCAA tournament on four occasions: 1988, 2007, 2010, and 2021, recording their first-ever tournament win in 2021. The Mean Green went on an especially strong run in the 2006–2010 era, with two tournament appearances, two conference championships, and posting more wins over this time period than any other Division I team in the state of Texas. [2]
The 2011–12 and 2012–13 teams featured the only 5-star recruit to play for North Texas in Tony Mitchell. In one season, he became the program's all-time leader in blocks. [3] Despite Mitchell being highly touted, his performance in his second year suffered and he ended up struggling under new head coach Tony Benford eventually falling to the 2nd round of the NBA draft.
On April 16, 2012, longtime head coach Johnny Jones was formally introduced as the next head coach of his alma mater LSU. His replacement, Tony Benford, was not able to capitalize on the program's momentum, resulting in a disappointing final year in the Sun Belt Conference and then more struggles in the Mean Green's new conference Conference USA.
Prior to 1973, the Mean Green played in the Ken Bahnsen Gym, nicknamed the Snake Pit. They now play in The Super Pit which derives its name from the Snake Pit.
While the Mean Green hold a fierce rivalry with the UTSA Roadrunners across athletics in general, the team's most contentious conference rivals in men's basketball currently are the UAB Blazers and FAU Owls. In 2023, the Mean Green and Blazers met four times in which UNT won the series, 3-1. The Blazers knocked the Mean Green out of the Conference USA tournament while the Mean Green defeated the Blazers in the 2023 NIT Championship. During the Grant McCasland era, there was also a stretch where the road team in the series won nine straight games. And while North Texas leads the historical series with FAU, a 2023 Final Four participant, 14-11, the Mean Green have dropped five straight games against the Owls by a combined 21 points, including a 77-71 loss in the 2024 AAC tournament.
The Mean Green briefly restored their rivalry with the SMU Mustangs the one year they shared in the AAC (2023-24), with the home team winning both matchups by an average of 2.5 points. It is unclear if the teams will continue the series once the Mustangs enter the ACC in 2024-25. The teams have only played 19 times since 1949-50.
Notable Non-conference rivals include the University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks, and former Conference USA foes Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky.
Years | Coach |
---|---|
1916–1920 | J.W. St. Clair |
1920–1921 | Theron Fouts |
1921–1924 | J.W. St. Clair |
1924–1929 | John Reid |
1929–1933 | Terrance Myracle |
1933-35 | Jack Sisco |
1935–1959 | Henry "Pete" Shands (1899-1983) |
1959–1965 | Charles Johnson |
1965–1970 | Dan Spika |
1970–1971 | Harry Miller |
1971–1975 | Gene Robbins |
1975–1983 | Bill Blakeley |
1983–1986 | Tommy Newman |
1986–1993 | Jimmy Gales |
1993–1997 | Tim Jankovich |
1997–2001 | Vic Trilli |
2001–2012 | Johnny Jones |
2012–2017 | Tony Benford |
2017–2023 | Grant McCasland |
2023–present | Ross Hodge |
The Mean Green have appeared in the NCAA tournament four times. Their combined record is 1–4.
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | #15 | First Round | #2 North Carolina | L 65–83 |
2007 | #15 | First Round | #2 Memphis | L 58–73 |
2010 | #15 | First Round | #2 Kansas State | L 62–82 |
2021 | #13 | First Round Second Round | #4 Purdue #5 Villanova | W 78–69 L 61–84 |
The Mean Green have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) three times consecutively, winning it in 2023. Their combined record is 7–2.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | First Round Second Round | Texas State Virginia | W 67–63OT L 69–71OT |
2023 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Alcorn State Sam Houston Oklahoma State Wisconsin UAB | W 69–53 W 75–55 W 65–59OT W 56–54 W 68–61 |
2024 | First Round Second Round | at LSU Seton Hall | W 84–77 L 58–72 |
The Mean Green have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) once, winning it in 2018. Their record is 5–1.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals–Game 1 Finals–Game 2 Finals–Game 3 | South Dakota Mercer Jacksonville State San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco | W 90–77 W 96–67 W 90–68 L 62–72 W 69–55 W 88–77 |
The Mean Green have appeared in the NAIA Tournament two times. Their record is 3–2.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1938 | First Round Second Round | Morningside Delta State | W 31–29 L 39–48 |
1942 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Wisconsin-Stout York (NE) Hamline | W 60–37 W 51–49 L 41–45 |
North Texas games are broadcast on the radio by the Mean Green Sports Network, part of Learfield IMG College on 88.1 KNTU and 95.3 KHYI. Former Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks announcer Dave Barnett does play by play, along with Hank Dickenson on color commentary.
Television broadcasts are carried by ESPN+, ESPN3, and C-USA TV.
Andy Kennedy is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the UAB Blazers men's basketball team. He was head men's basketball coach at the University of Mississippi from 2006 to 2018. Kennedy was a player in high school at both Winston Academy and Louisville High School. He was a 1986 Parade All-American and he went on to play for North Carolina State and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). On March 20, 2020, he was announced as the seventh head coach of UAB.
North Texas Mean Green represents the University of North Texas (UNT) in intercollegiate athletics. The teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). North Texas competed in the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA before joining the American Athletic Conference on July 1, 2023. UNT's official school colors are Green and White. North Texas' mascot is an Eagle named Scrappy.
The Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball team represents Florida Atlantic University and competes in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. Their home games are played on the Abessinio Court in the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena on the school's Boca Raton, Florida campus. The Owls have appeared in the NCAA tournament three times: in 2002, 2023, and 2024. The Owls joined Conference USA (C-USA) in 2013 as part of the early-2010s NCAA conference realignment. After not winning a single NCAA Tournament game coming into 2023, the Owls qualified for their first Final Four in program history by defeating the Kansas State Wildcats 79–76. After the 2022–23 season, FAU left C-USA for the American Athletic Conference.
The North Texas Mean Green women's basketball team represents the University of North Texas (UNT) in NCAA Division I college basketball, competing as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Since their 1976 inception, the team has played its home games at the Super Pit.
Billy Buie Blakeley was an American basketball coach. He coached at the high school, college, and professional levels.
The 2012–13 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by first year head coach Tony Benford, played their home games at UNT Coliseum, nicknamed The Super Pit, and were members of the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 12–20, 7–13 in Sun Belt play to finish in fourth place in the West Division. They lost in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament to Louisiana–Lafayette.
The 2013–14 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by second year head coach Tony Benford, played their home games at UNT Coliseum, nicknamed The Super Pit, and were first year members of Conference USA. They finished the season 16–16, 6–10 in C-USA play to finish 11th place. They advanced to the second round of the C-USA tournament where they lost to Tulane.
The 2014–15 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by third year head coach Tony Benford, played their home games at UNT Coliseum, nicknamed The Super Pit, and were members of Conference USA. They finished the season 14–17, 8–10 in C-USA play in a 4-way tie for seventh place. They lost in the first round of the C-USA tournament to Rice.
The 2014–15 North Texas Mean Green women's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by third year head coach Mike Petersen, played their home games UNT Coliseum, also known as The Super Pit, and were second year members of Conference USA. They finished the season 5–24, 4–14 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for twelfth place. They failed to qualify for the Conference USA women's tournament.
The 2015–16 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by fourth-year head coach Tony Benford, played their home games at UNT Coliseum, nicknamed The Super Pit, and were members of Conference USA. They finished the season 12–20, 7–11 in C-USA play to finish in a three-way tie for ninth place. They lost in the second round of the C-USA tournament to WKU.
The 2015–16 North Texas Mean Green women's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by first year head coach Jalie Mitchell, played their home games UNT Coliseum, also known as The Super Pit, and were third year members of Conference USA. They finished the season 11–19, 5–13 in C-USA play to finish in thirteenth place. They advanced to the second round of the C-USA women's tournament to Old Dominion.
The 2016–17 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by fifth-year head coach Tony Benford, played their home games at UNT Coliseum, nicknamed The Super Pit, in Denton, Texas, as members of Conference USA. They finished the season 8–22, 2–16 in C-USA play to finish in last place. They failed to qualify for the C-USA tournament.
The 2016–17 North Texas Mean Green women's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by second year head coach Jalie Mitchell, played their home games UNT Coliseum, also known as The Super Pit, and were fourth year members of Conference USA. They finished the season 12–19, 8–10 in C-USA play to finish in a 3-way tie for eighth place. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the C-USA women's tournament, where they lost to WKU.
The 2017–18 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by first-year head coach Grant McCasland, played their home games at UNT Coliseum, nicknamed The Super Pit, in Denton, Texas, as members of Conference USA. They finished the season 20–18, 8–10 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost in the first round of the C-USA tournament to Louisiana Tech. They were invited to participate in the College Basketball Invitational where they defeated South Dakota, Mercer, and Jacksonville State to advance to the best-of-three finals series against San Francisco. After losing in game 1, they won games 2 and 3 to become CBI champions. They also had the biggest crowd since 2010 at 6,291.
The 2017–18 North Texas Mean Green women's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by third year head coach Jalie Mitchell, played their home games UNT Coliseum, also known as The Super Pit, and were members of Conference USA. They finished the season 17–14, 6–10 in C-USA play to finish in a 3-way tie for tenth place. They advanced to the semifinals of the C-USA women's tournament, where they lost to Western Kentucky.
The 2018–19 North Texas Mean Green women's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Mean Green, led by fourth year head coach Jalie Mitchell, played their home games UNT Coliseum, also known as The Super Pit, and were members of Conference USA. They finished the season 18–16, 7–9 in C-USA play to finish in ninth place. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the C-USA women's tournament, where they lost to Rice. They received an invitation of the WBI, where they defeated Texas–Rio Grande Valley, Utah State and North Alabama in the first round, quarterfinals and semifinals to advanced to the championship game where they lost Appalachian State.
The 2022–23 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by fifth-year head coach Grant McCasland, and played their home games at UNT Coliseum in Denton, Texas as a member of Conference USA (C-USA). They finished the season 31–7, going 16–4 in C-USA play to finish in second place. They defeated Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinals of the C-USA tournament before losing to UAB. They received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament as a No. 2 seed. They defeated Alcorn State, Sam Houston, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin to advance to the championship game. There they defeated C-USA foe UAB to win the NIT championship.
The 2023–24 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represented the University of North Texas during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by first-year head coach Ross Hodge, and played their home games at UNT Coliseum in Denton, Texas as first year members of the American Athletic Conference.
The 2023–24 UAB Blazers men's basketball team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Andy Kennedy, and played their home games at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama as first-year members of American Athletic Conference (AAC).
The 2024–25 North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represents the University of North Texas during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team is led by second-year head coach Ross Hodge, and play their home games at UNT Coliseum in Denton, Texas as second-year members of the American Athletic Conference (AAC).