Photo by: Andrew Fielding
Although the DU men’s basketball team currently sits alone atop the West Division standings of the Sun Belt Conference, the team is still looking up at North Texas.
The Mean Green (16-4, 5-2) are a game back of the Pioneers (10-10, 6-1) currently, but could enter Saturday’s contest in Magness Arena only a half-game back if they win a mid-week contest against Louisiana Lafayette.
For Denver, the game is the biggest of the season and a chance for the team to avenge their 63-56 loss in the semi-finals of last season’s SBC postseason tournament where the Pioneers season ended at the hands of the Mean Green.
Head coach Joe Scott says this game isn’t about revenge though.
“Our team doesn’t believe in the theme of revenge,” said Scott on Tuesday afternoon. “Our theme is that North Texas is the best team in our league and in order to compete for league titles, we will need to compete with them.”
Scott acknowledged that rebounding would be a huge factor if the Pioneers want to get to 7-1 in league play. In last season’s loss, DU was outrebounded 36-27, because NTU forward George Odufuwa dominated the glass, finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Odufuwa, now a senior, is one of the hardest players to defend in the conference and has throttled Denver in the past, according to Scott.
“Odufuwa, [Tristan] Thompson and Josh White are three of the best players in conference this season,” Scott said. “They are all seniors, and they have a ton of experience.”
To win the Pioneers will need to shut down Odufuwa, who currently averages a double-double (11.5 ppg and 10.2 rpg), which won’t be easy without senior forward Andrew Hooper.
Hooper will miss the next two weeks, and possibly more, with a concussion, according to Scott.
The Pioneers are already thin down low, being without senior forward Rob Lewis all season with a leg injury.
“He [Hooper] has been our best physical defender in the low post this season,” said Scott. “He has been a consistent fighter for us in terms of getting rebounds.”
Without Hooper and Lewis, the Pioneers will need a big performance from emerging freshman Chris Udofia, who currently leads the team in blocks and has been improving on the glass.
However, Scott says Udofia will not start in place of Hooper; rather, he will remain the team’s top bench player, while junior Justin Coughlin or red-shirt sophomore Trevor Noonan will get the start in the low post.
Scott acknowledged that the team was outrebounded last Saturday evening in a 10-point loss to Middle Tennessee, which ended the team’s eight-game winning streak.
“They [MTU] are a really physical team under the glass, really tough all around and I think that game came at the perfect time for us,” said Scott. “It opened our eyes a little bit and made us aware that we need to take care of the glass every night.”
According to ESPN.com, the Pioneers rank No. 346 in the nation in rebounding, being led by sophomore guard Chase Hallam, who also leads the team in points and assists.
Despite the game’s importance in conference standings, as well as a chance for DU to beat a team they have lost to five consecutive times, Scott stresses that this game is no different than any other of the 16 contests the team plays in conference play.
“They [NTU] have had their way with us in past years; they are certainly the best team in our conference and we are looking for that to change” said Scott. “Defending conference champions, and a team that made the [NCAA] tournament last season, I don’t care what the records say right now, they are the top dog.”
