Just a few thoughts from tonight...
*First, how bout some defense for ya? The Red Raiders were mostly dominant on that end of the court, holding UNT in total check until late in the first half where they got hot, and then they essentially shut down the Mean Green in the second half. In fact, North Texas shot only 23 percent from the floor after halftime. Sure, they missed some open looks, but I thought the Red Raiders really showed some big time hustle, especially inside the paint. 10 steals and 4 blocks this early in the season? You'll take that.
*Tech had a great night when it came to turnover-assist ratio. The Red Raiders turned it over only 7 times against an aggressive group of guards, and the team had 15 assists on 28 total baskets. That's great, disciplined team basketball right there.
*And even though we're only two games into this season, the depth and versatility can clearly be seen for this team. They had a rough night shooting the three, so instead they focused on driving the paint, where Tech came up with 36 points. This team's veteran-heavy roster that can do a lot of things well because they have 12 guys that have different skillsets makes them a very flexible team that can win in a lot of ways. Against Houston Baptist it was shooting lights out. Against UNT it was with defense and tough play under the basket.
*Speaking of, this team impresses me with how hard and aggresive they play at the rim on both ends. They have in all three games I've watched. They fight for rebounds and really get after it trying for tough baskets. I like that a lot.
*Zach Smith had his first double-double of the year, 11 points and 11 rebounds. You get that kind of effort out of him on both ends every night and you're gonna win a lot of games. There are just very, very few guys with the kind of wingspan and length that Zach has.
*First, how bout some defense for ya? The Red Raiders were mostly dominant on that end of the court, holding UNT in total check until late in the first half where they got hot, and then they essentially shut down the Mean Green in the second half. In fact, North Texas shot only 23 percent from the floor after halftime. Sure, they missed some open looks, but I thought the Red Raiders really showed some big time hustle, especially inside the paint. 10 steals and 4 blocks this early in the season? You'll take that.
*Tech had a great night when it came to turnover-assist ratio. The Red Raiders turned it over only 7 times against an aggressive group of guards, and the team had 15 assists on 28 total baskets. That's great, disciplined team basketball right there.
*And even though we're only two games into this season, the depth and versatility can clearly be seen for this team. They had a rough night shooting the three, so instead they focused on driving the paint, where Tech came up with 36 points. This team's veteran-heavy roster that can do a lot of things well because they have 12 guys that have different skillsets makes them a very flexible team that can win in a lot of ways. Against Houston Baptist it was shooting lights out. Against UNT it was with defense and tough play under the basket.
*Speaking of, this team impresses me with how hard and aggresive they play at the rim on both ends. They have in all three games I've watched. They fight for rebounds and really get after it trying for tough baskets. I like that a lot.
*Zach Smith had his first double-double of the year, 11 points and 11 rebounds. You get that kind of effort out of him on both ends every night and you're gonna win a lot of games. There are just very, very few guys with the kind of wingspan and length that Zach has.
