North Texas jumps into Sun Belt Conference play as the reigning Sun Belt Tournament Champions University of Arkansas-Little Rock will make a trip west bringing their Championship banner to Denton. They dumped North Texas 64-63 when with 1.5 seconds left on the clock in the Championship game, a three point shot went in driving a dagger into the North Texas heart. They earned the NCAA bid and North Texas earned the right to sit home and watch the tournament on TV.

Preseason media sources basically pick UALR to end the season in fifth place in the Sun Belt West Division just behind North Texas. Last year they went 19-17, 7-9 to finish 5^th in the SBC West. They won the SBC tournament and headed to March Madness. 

They have three starters returning but their main player, Soloman Boozeman the player that drove the dagger into the hearts of North Texas fans with the three point shot to win the championship game is gone. The question is what is the team going to be like?

They are off to a 3-10, 0-0 start. They are 3-4 at home and 0-6 on the road. Their three wins have been against Northwestern State 72-66, IUPUI 75-70 and Philander Smith 102-59. They lost against Tulsa, Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Southern Methodist, Northwestern State, Missouri State, Oral Roberts, Louisiana Tech, Illinois State. They played NSU twice this season a home and home deal.

They are being outscored 63.5 to 66.8 per game for a -3.2 game deficient. They hit .413% of their shots hitting 291 of 705 attempts. They have hit 61of 212 three point attempts for a .288% average or 4.7 good per game. Opponents are putting in 7.3 three point attempts per game. UALR get 2.8 blocks a game while opponents knockout 4.3 shots.

All the other stats are pretty even. In rebounds they get 34.2 and opponents he 34.6 per game. They turn the ball over 13.8 times a game while opponents average fourteen. UALR get 6.2 steals per game to 5.8 for opponents.

While UALR outscore opponents 405 to 392 in the first half the second half they have been outscored 412-461 and in overtime 9-15. 

They have three players scoring in double figures, #10 D’Andre Williams,G, 5-10, 156, Sr., that puts in 11.2 points a game, #53 Will Neighbour, F, 6-10, 200, So., has 11.1 and #13 Chuck Guy, G, 5-10, 164, So., with 10.2.

Neighbour leads the teams in three point shooting hitting .410% going 16 of 39 and pulls down 5.8 rebounds a game. Clark has hit 11 of 53 three point attempts for a .208% average and snares 3.5 rebounds. Williams has tried 41 threes putting in 10 for a .244% and 4 rebounds.

UALR has been experimenting with their starting line-up. Williams and #12 Courtney Jackson, F, 6-6, 221, Sr., are the only two players that have started all 13 of their games. Of the 12 players on their team only three have not started any games. 

They get a lot of support off the bench and it is responsible for keeping the team in games.

To win this game North Texas has to keep the UALR bench players from keeping the game close. They have to keep in the face of Neighbour to alter his three point shots and keep pressure on anyone trying from long range. North Texas has to lead at the end of the first half in order to take advantage of UALR fading in the second period. If UALR has a big lead at halftime, even though they tire during the second half, they could hold onto a big lead and win.