2022 Record: 31-7 (16-4 in CUSA) (NIT Champs)

Head Coach: Ross Hodge (Career Record 146-24 at JUCO level) (First season as an NCAA HC)

Projected Rotation:

PG: Rubin Jones (6.7 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 1.9 Ast)

SG: Jason Edwards (Dodge City CC 21.9 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 1.9 Ast)

SF: CJ Noland (Oklahoma 3.2 Pts, 1.3 Reb, 0.6 Ast)

PF: Aaron Scott (7.0 Pts, 5.5 Reb, 1.1 Ast)

C: Robert Allen (Ole Miss 4.4 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 1.2 Ast)

6: SG John Buggs III (UTSA 10.9 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 1.2 Ast)

7: SF Rondel Walker (TCU 1.9 Pts, 1.6 Reb, 0.7 Ast)

8: C Moulaye Sissoko (2.5 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 0.2 Ast)

9: SG Matthew Stone (2.5 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 0.8 Ast)

10: SG Alex Cotton

11: PF Terrance Dixon (Kilgore CC 8.9 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 0.4 Ast)

12: PG Christian Moore (2.4 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.2 Ast)

13: PF Chris Morgan (0.2 Pts, 0.6 Reb, 0.0 Ast)

North Texas lost a lot of talent this past offseason, but they did do a very good job in the portal replacing some of the talent they lost. It will be tough to replicate the 31 win season last year, but the Mean Green do have some interesting pieces in place. Rubin Jones is returning and projects to be the starting point guard. Jones is entering his 4th year in the system. He will obviously have an increased role following the departures of Tylor Perry and Kai Huntsberry. The biggest thing for Jones this season will be consistency. He has shown he can be an elite player in the past but now he will need to put it together for a full season.

The other returning starter for the Mean Green this upcoming season is forward Aaron Scott. He started every game last season and was very efficient from inside the arc shooting nearly 60% from the field. He also attacks the glass really well while being a primary piece to the lockdown defense the Mean Green play. He also showed the ability to stretch the floor a bit shooting just over 40% from beyond the arc but on limited attempts. A few other returners for the Mean Green include guards Christian Moore and Matthew Stone. Both are expected to be further down in the rotation. Moore, a freshman last season, saw action playing just over 5 minutes a game but having good shooting splits in limited action. Stone is a former 3 star recruit who had high major offers. He has the potential to be a legit player, he just needs to continue to develop in the system and his time will come.

North Texas also brought in a couple JUCO players this offseason. The most notable being Jason Edwards from Dodge City. He could be one of the most underrated pickups for the Mean Green. He is a true volume scorer that averaged over 21PPG in the JUCO ranks this past season. He will have huge shoes to fill, but he will play that role left by Tylor Perry. Edwards shot 48% from the floor and 41% from 3. He’s not afraid to let it fly and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the very slow pace the Mean Green play. North Texas also got a commitment today from JUCO forward Terrance Dixon. The 6-8 forward out of Kilgore CC fills the final spot on the Mean Green roster. Dixon is a true interior player, he doesn’t have outside range but does have nice touch around the rim.

The Mean Green also did very well in the portal. They landed some high major transfers that will have the chance to make an immediate impact. CJ Noland is the player that has the most potential out of the bunch. Noland was a former 4 star recruit in the Top 100 on most recruiting websites. He played his first 2 seasons at Oklahoma where he did fairly well in the amount of time that he got, but he was looking for a place where he would get more playing time. Rondel Walker is another high major transfer the Mean Green hauled in. He previously spent time with Oklahoma State and TCU. Walker is another former 4 star recruit who is very athletic but has gone through an up and down career so far. He had a disappointing season last year but has proven he can be a productive player his first 2 seasons in the Big 12. He is a double transfer so he will need a waiver if he hasn’t graduated yet.

North Texas also added transfer big man Robert Allen in the portal. The former Ole Miss and Samford big man is going into his 6th year of college so he brings an abundance of experience to the Mean Green. Allen was very productive in the mid major level at Samford averaging around 14 and 7 in his best season. He still proved to be a solid player in the SEC and that can carry over to him having a very good season in Denton this year. Moulaye Sissoko is returning to the Mean Green and will compete with Allen for minutes. The former Dayton Flyer saw around 10 minutes of action per game last season. He is very efficient scoring around the rim with a shooting percentage of 71% last season. Chris Morgan is also on the roster and returning for the Mean Green. The rising RS-Sophomore and former 3 star recruit played sparingly in 10 games last season.

North Texas also added UTSA transfer John Buggs III this offseason. UTSA is also joining the American conference with North Texas so Buggs will be able to play against his former team again. Buggs is another scorer that the Mean Green can bring in off the bench. He shoots the ball really well from the perimeter and would be suitable in a 6th man role with the Mean Green this upcoming season. He also spent time with UMass and at Hill CC. North Texas also got a commitment from 3 star shooting guard Alex Cotton who had high major interest. The 6-6 Texas native should be able to get some minutes in the rotation this year.

Expectations for North Texas this year should be to finish in the Top 5 of the American conference. It will be very tough for them to replicate the season they had last year considering the losses they suffered and the coaching change. This is still a very good group that should compete for a spot in postseason play. Winning 31 games is a pipe dream, but a win total in the 22-24 range should be considered a successful season in Denton.