EL PASO, Texas - Within the pandemic-revised Convention USA schedules, UTEP is taking part in convention opponents back-to-back on Friday and Saturday making it troublesome to achieve momentum over a protracted season.
As such the Miners (5-4, 2-2 C-USA) have break up weekend collection with their first two C-USA opponents, Southern Mississippi and Rice, and sit in the midst of the C-USA West standings.
Happily six different C-USA have performed the identical, together with UTEP’s subsequent opponent in defending convention champion North Texas.
The Miners will head to Denton, TX to attempt to knock off a Imply Inexperienced (5-5, 1-1 C-USA) staff that at the moment sits at .500.
However do not let the document idiot you. Like UTEP, North Texas performed a frightening non-conference schedule touring to Energy 5 opponents Arkansas, Mississippi State, and West Virginia. North Texas misplaced every of these video games.
UTEP’s non-conference schedule included street losses Saint Mary’s and Arizona, and a street victory at Arizona State.
Each UTEP and North Texas will hope that the difficult non-conference schedule will make their groups higher over the course of C-USA play.
“We have seen good defenses already and what a very good protection seems like when it comes to guys taking part in exhausting and taking part in the gaps,” says UTEP Coach Rodney Terry. “So it helps put together us for issues that we’ll see in convention play.
A fantastic blueprint could be final season’s North Texas staff that went 6-7 in non-conference play, solely to go 14-4 in C-USA play to win the convention title.
By way of scouting North Texas, Coach Terry might look to a earlier opponent.
“We’ll see sort of just like what we noticed in opposition to Arizona to be sincere with you. A staff that’ll defend actually exhausting, play quick in transition.”
Terry was additionally extraordinarily complementary of reigning C-USA Participant of the Yr Javion Hamlet.
“They have a very good common. when it comes to facilitating their offense and getting them of their actions,” says Terry of Hamlet, who had 14 factors in a win over UTEP final season. “And he is a troublesome competitor.”
Tipoff for Friday night time’s recreation is at 7pm CT/6pm MT, adopted Saturday’s recreation at 3pm CT/2pm MT.
Watch the connected clip for the complete UTEP Basketball Coaches Present sponsored by Talking Rock.
