North Texas (1-0) will welcome Big 12 member Texas Tech (1-0) this Tuesday to The Super Pit. The Red Raiders will be bringing in a lot of experience to face the Sun Belt Conference Champions.

Texas Tech Head Basketball Coach is Pat Knight, who took over the program in the middle of the season four years ago from his father Bob Knight and inherits his fathers temper.  Knight runs around court     Tech will be bring in five of their top scorers from last season and the roster features six seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and four freshman. North Texas Head Basketball Coach Johnny Jones will counter with seven seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.

Tech started last season 9-0 earning a top 25 ranking before being pummeled in Big 12 play. After starting out 9-0 they went 0-7 and ended the season 19-16, 4-12 tied for ninth in the Big 12. They played their way into the Big 12 quarterfinals before being bounced by top ranked Kansas. As a result they received a NIT bid where they beat Seton Hall 87-69, Jacksonville 69-64 before losing to the University of Mississippi in the quarterfinals 87-90 in double overtime.

To remind them of their seven game losing streak they have a sign in their locker room which states “Seven in a Row.” It is a reminder to the team how last year's season started and it is a way their coaching staff is trying to get into their players head.

The five scorers from last year's NIT team are Senior Mike Singletary, F, 6-6, 235 accounting for 15 points per game, Senior John Roberson, G, 5-11, 168 put in 14.5 points a game, Senior David Tairu, G, 6-3, 177 added 9.2, Senior Brad Reese, F, 6-6, 195 put in 7.5 points a game and finally Senior D'walyn Roberts, F, 6-7, 200 added 7 points per contest.

North Texas will counter with a team that went to the first round of the NCAA Tournament after winning the Sun Belt Conference automatic bid. Leading returning scorers for North Texas is Josh White, G, 5-10, 175, So., who averaged 14.5 points a game, Tristan Thompson, G, 6-5, 193, Sr., also put in 14.5 points a game, and George Odufuwa, F, 6-8, 240, SR., added 11.5 points a game.

Tech opened their season at home, last Friday, Nov 11^th, against Sun Belt Conference opponent the University of Louisiana-Monroe and bounced fellow conference member 86-67. However, ULM was in the game until about the middle of the second period. They traveled with ten players and Tech simply wore them down. At the half ULM was down 38-37 and at one point they were up by seven points. The game changed leads 18 times and there were eight ties.

In a fast paced game, Tech's Reese to put in 15 points, Tairu poured in 13 points and Singletary rounded out the top double-digit scorers with ten. ULM was able to put points on the boards via long distance. They actually had the two highest scorers in the game with Fred Brown, G, putting in 25 points by hitting seven of ten three point attempts and Lawrence Gilbert, F, adding an additional 18 with one of four going in from long distance.

Tech does not have any hilltoppers with only one player at 6-10 or higher. Their tallest player is Junior Robert Lewandowski, F, 6-10, 245 with the rest of the players at around 6-8. North Texas counters with players about the same height.

To combat the lack of height Tech uses the motion offense, an offense that does not have set plays. Over on defense they use the man to man scheme.

This should be a great game for fans of both teams. Both have experience coming back from last year. Tech will be gunning for North Texas as the Sun Belt Championship Conference and NCAA participate. They will view the Sun Belt Conference Banner being raised along with the Championship Rings being handed out before their game and view it as a red flag being waived in front of them.  They will give North Texas everything they have.

Other Big 12 teams have made the trip to Denton thinking they have a check in the W column only to find they leave with a L. Coach Knight will be reminding his team of that fact.

This will be big time basketball at its finest. If North Texas wants to move their program to another level, The Super Pit needs to be packed because fans in the stands will help move the program to a bigger conference. There is no more excuses for not going to see North Texas play.